Tim Horton Rebellion
by Cathy9
Summary: Sam knew marriage to Mara would be an adventure. 9 chapters total
1. My Wife the Klutz

The jet touched down at Andrew's Airforce base at 17:06 Sunday evening. The door opened and Sam smiled at Secret Service agent Jack Wells. 

"Welcome back Sam, we understand you needed some help?" 

"I just hoped a car could be waiting for us on the tarmac. While she isn't that heavy, the shorter the length of time I have to carry Mara, the less likely I am to trip and drop her." 

"A car is waiting and while the First Lady understands you might just want to head home, she has none the less extended an early dinner invitation to you. Can I bring your bags to the car?" 

"Sure, that's nice of you. If you could take her crutches too." 

Sam opened the luggage compartment and unloaded his suitcase and Mara's carryon bag. Jack flung both bags over his shoulder and carried a crutch in each hand. Sam gently woke Mara, who was fast asleep with both her legs propped up. 

"We're home sweetie. How do you feel?" 

"Fine, the pain pills are still working." 

"Abbey wants us to go have an early dinner with her. She won't mind if we skip it though." 

"Nah, let's go so you don't have to cook and I know she will want to check my leg out herself. She may even have better pain pills for me." 

"At least you hurt yourself with only 3 days left." 

"Sam, I've got millions and millions of dollars, neither of us really needs to work, let's go back for good in the morning." 

"I wish we could Mara, but it's back to the real world in the morning. What are you complaining about? You are off all this week." 

"Yeah, and I'm going to be in pain all week long. Some vacation, I want a recount!" 

"Give me your pillow and Tedzy for a second and carefully swing your legs down so I can pick you up." Sam said ignoring her. 

Mara took back her pillow and Tedzy and clutched them tightly in her arms as Sam carried her out of the plane and into the waiting car. Sam was paying so much attention to her right leg that her head barely missed connecting with the door frame. Mara didn't seem to notice and Sam ignored the look Jack gave him. Twenty minutes later the car was pulling into the South Entrance. 

Mara saw Abbey waiting with Killer hung over her shoulder. Mara smiled, she'd missed Killer while they were away and was glad to see her favourite fuzzy little guy. Sam got out of the car and gave Abbey a hug and scratched the top of Killer's head before opening the door for Mara. She managed to swing both her legs out the car door and planted her left leg on the ground. She used Sam's waist to hoist herself up and he swiped her up into his arms. Jack left everything in the car for the trip home and just brought Mara's crutches. 

"My child, what on earth did you do to yourself?" Abbey asked surveying Mara's right leg. 

Abbey gave Mara a kiss and Killer leapt off her shoulder landing on Mara's stomach. She picked the cat up and gave him a few kisses before settling him in her arms. 

"I'll tell you my tale of woe once I'm on a comfortable couch." 

"You both have beautiful tans." 

"I was feeling well rested until Thursday evening." Sam said giving Mara a look. 

"Mara. What on earth did you do?" Jed asked as Sam carried her into the living room. 

"All of this is due to one evil piece of metal not more than an inch high. I'd sue for pain and suffering if it wasn't my own house." 

"She's a klutz, she tripped and since Mara never does anything simply, she had to cause the most damage possible." Sam provided. 

"What did you trip on Sweetie?" Abbey asked trying to hide her amusement. 

"The stupid, bloody rail for the sliding door to the patio." 

"A little trip did all this damage?" Jed chuckled. 

"Mara what is the damage?" 

"I broke my pinky toe which is why it's taped to the next one. I tore ligaments and a tendon in my ankle, sprained my knee, scraped my leg and bruised my hip." 

"Oy vey." Abbey muttered. 

"I missed clearing the rail and rammed my pinky into it. I thought. I just stubbed my toe and after doing a hop or two, I stepped down on my right foot. It hurt so much that I swiped my foot up, knocking myself off balance and I crashed to the patio with my right ankle under my left leg. When I fell, I knocked the outside of my knee and bruised my hip. The scratches and scrapes are from the patio." 

"I got her to the hospital and the doctor did x-rays, taped her toes together, gave her pain pills, ordered her to stay completely off her feet for two days and gave her crutches for today." 

"Crutches, Sam hasn't let me use yet." She added. 

"What did the doctor give you?" 

"Blue morphine pills." 

"Blue? It must be MOS and it's either 30 or 40 mg." 

Sam fished the vial of pills out of his pocket and tossed them to Abbey. 

"40 mg. You shouldn't be feeling anything on these Mara. Did you exaggerate when asked how much pain you were in?" 

"No, I thought my toe killed until I screwed up my ankle. I can't put any weight on it at all. It really hurts Abbey. Do you have anything better?" 

"Mara, 40 mg of morphine is as good as you are going to get it. You were given enough pills to last you ten days which is a little on the generous side. If you were here you probably would have got a weeks worth. It's a good thing you are off all this week." 

"I hate being sick on holidays it just sucks, you waste vacation time instead of work time." 

"Mrs. Klutz, how do you intend to handle the stairs in your house?" Jed asked. 

"Sam, we always forget about those stairs." 

"Why don't you stay in your regular room until Tuesday and then you can come to Manchester with me Tuesday morning. You can have the downstairs bedroom." 

"Can I let you know in the morning?" 

"Sure Sweetie, are you thirsty?" 

"A bit, can I have some lemonade?" 

"Of course, Sam what about you?" 

"I'll I have the same, thanks." 

Abbey picked up the phone to order a pitcher of lemonade and to let the household staff know the Seaborn's would be using their usual suite for a few days. Abbey picked up a large envelope that had been sitting on the table and handed it to Mara. Inside Mara, found the wedding picture proofs that the official White House photographer had developed while they were gone. She smiled at the memories and handed them one by one over to Sam as she finished studying them. She started laughing and Abbey knew she was looking at the picture of CJ catching the bouquet. 

"She looks like someone just killed her puppy in front of her." Mara chuckled. 

"That picture is priceless. The press corps would love to see it." Jed replied. 

Sam started laughing when he got the picture. "If this picture sees the light of day, CJ will strike us all dead." 

"It's going in our wedding album." Mara proclaimed with a wicked grin. 

"Jed and I made a list of the pictures we'd like copies of. Personally I think the best picture of you both is 42." 

Sam flipped the picture back until he got to the picture Abbey was speaking of. They were dancing and Sam had spun Mara as the picture was taken. They both looked like they were having so much fun. Mara took the picture off Sam and examined it again. 

"I really like this one but my favourite one is the very last picture." 

The last picture was of Sam and Mara just after they had left the reception. The photographer asked them to turn towards him and framed the picture with the White House behind them. Sam had wrapped his arms around her and it looked like they were both holding her lily of the valley bouquet. 

"The look on both of our faces is what they call the look of love. It's perfect." 

"That one is my favourite too. Looks like we have the thank you card shot." Sam agreed. 

After a casual dinner of turkey club sandwiches Mara and Sam headed up to the sky parlour to relax. .Sam refreshed her nail polish on her toes since both legs were resting on the couch. Mara had to wait an hour before taking her final morphine pill of the night. Sam remembered all too well, how it felt waiting to take a pain pill and did his best to keep her mind off her ankle. Sam's distractions helped but the second the hour was over Mara, had her palm open for a pill and held a glass of lemonade in the other hand. Killer wandered into the room and headed towards Mara until he noticed both her legs were on the couch and he jumped up on Sam's lap instead. 

"He's so smart, he knew not to jump on your legs." 

"That's my Killer, almost as smart as his mistress." 

"Actually, I think he's smarter than us both. He's never hurt himself." Sam laughed. 

"What do you think about me going to Manchester for the rest of the week?" 

"I'll miss you but I think you should go. Abbey will take great care of you and it won't matter how long I stay at the office. Killer should probably stay here though, since I don't know when I'll be home to feed him." 

"I'll take him with me. He's been to the farm house before. He naps on top of the kitchen cabinets." 

Sam helped Mara to bed and joined her a few minutes later. He made sure her leg was on a pillow and kissed her goodnight. 

**************** 

Sam found himself wishing he was in Anguilla Tuesday morning. He kissed Mara good-bye before she boarded Marine One with Abbey and Killer and went right back to work. As expected, Donna, kept PEI running smoothly and efficiently. It only took him an hour to read the updates she left for him. Sam had given Toby the president's Speech for the Fourth of July first thing in the morning, but hadn't heard any feedback yet. He had a meeting with Nancy in the Situation room at four and was currently trying to go over his notes of everything She had taught him thus far. He had a feeling she'd created an international incident for him to deal with. 

"Sam, my eyes are bigger than my stomach. Do you want the other half of my eclair?" Ginger asked, returning from lunch.. 

"Ginger, when have I ever said no to an eclair?" Sam asked with a grin. 

Ginger retrieved it from her desk and handed it to Sam. Her stomach was actually feeling sick but she couldn't resist licking the chocolate icing off her fingers. 

"You never answered me yesterday. Did you miss me?" 

"Not until Thursday of week two. I was kind of hoping you'd call but I knew it was unlikely. By Wednesday of last week I wanted you back. I was getting tired of one sided conversations with myself. If it wasn't for Donna, spending half her day in your office, I would have gone nuts. Toby kept Bonnie on the go the entire time, so we actually talked less than normal. Sam will you make me a promise?" 

"What?" 

"Promise me that if you leave before the President's term is over that I can go with you. Promise me that if we all don't self-destruct after 8 years that I'll have a job with you." 

"What if I don't have a job Ginger Ale?" 

"Then you'll need me to send out your resumes. Trust me Sam, you'll have several job offers to choose from." 

Sam smiled, "Ginger, where ever I go, you go or I won't accept the job." 

"Thanks Sam. I will relocate to Canada if it's necessary. Maybe I can find myself a nice polite, funny, gorgeous Canadian guy." 

"Maybe. Can you get Mara at the farmhouse for me?" 

"Sure." 

"You rang?" 

"Hey Sweetie, how's the leg?" 

"The morphine is still doing it's job so I'm happy. Do you just miss me or did you need something." 

"Of course I miss you, but I did need to ask you something." 

"Shoot." 

"Remember when we were talking about the levels of response during a conflict." 

"Yeah." 

"Well is there a rule about what level your response is?" 

"Sure, it depends on the situation, you don't skip all the steps and declare war for example." 

"Obviously, but can I go straight to four?" 

"If you think the situation warrants it. Remember you always have to leave some wiggle room. You can't give a country no possible chance to save face as an opening move." 

"Got it, thanks." 

"Anytime. What are you working on?" 

"Nothing yet, I think Nancy is testing me today." 

"What time?" 

"Four." 

"Well I'll send you good vibes then. You can do it Sam, remember to see the whole board. See it then check it off in your mind." 

"I will, love ya." 

"Love ya too. Call me tonight and let me know how it went." 

"Kay. Talk to you later." 

Sam hung up the phone and went back to reading his notes. At five to four Ginger popped her head in to tell Sam that Nancy was waiting for him in the Situation Room. Sam was surprised to see Leo and Admiral Fitzwallace in the room. The President's chair stayed empty at the head of the table but Sam sat to the right of the chair facing Leo. In the mock situation there had been troop build up along the North and South Korean border. Sam listened to all the status reports and followed Mara's advice to go over each piece of information and then file it in his head. He didn't think twice about ordering an increased US military presence in the area and convinced a skeptical Leo that it wasn't a risky move. Ten minutes later, Nancy informed Sam that the elapsed time was twenty six hours later and gave Sam another briefing. When Admiral Fitzwallace looked at Sam for a decision, Sam decided to talk through all the options as he saw them. He tried to read Leo's expression but Leo was using his best poker face and was giving Sam nothing. Sam made his decision. 

"Sorry Sam, what was your order, I didn't hear you." Fitz replied. 

"Sorry." 

"Sam, don't be sorry, you are in charge, take charge. Now, Sir what are your orders?" 

Sam repeated his orders with more confidence and breathed a quite sigh of relief when Nancy quickly winked at him and nodded her head. She punched in his orders and elapsed the time another 15 hours. Sam increased military presence again and asked to see what happened in a few hours time. Nancy gave Sam a response after two hours and Sam decided to give it another hour and placed a fictious call to the North Korean leader. After another elapsed two hours, Nancy reported that the troops had stood down and were leaving the South Korean border. 

Everyone at the table had constructive criticism for Sam and Nancy presented him with a report card with an overall grade of eighty four percent. He was informed that there would be another test in less than a month before he was dismissed. He returned to his office and started to work on the speech Toby left for him. 

"Sam, it's ten, you haven't had dinner, nor have I, so we are leaving. You are going to take me to dinner and drive me home." 

"Give me ten minutes Ginger Ale and you've got a date." 

"Did you call Mara?" 

"Nah, I'll do that once I get home. She'll be up every night until midnight talking with Abbey." 

"So what's for dinner?" 

"Thai?" 

"No, how about Italian." 

"No, how about French?" 

"Matisse?" 

"I was thinking of Citronelle." 

"Sam, we don't even have reservations!" 

"So call them up and get us in." 

"It's too late Sam, I think they have only two seatings a night and I can tell you right now, quarter past ten isn't one of them." 

"Fine, then get us in for the second seating tomorrow. How about Kinkeads?" 

"Sam, you're one of this countries great minds, can't you come up with something more original than Kinkeads?" 

"Hey! You eat there more than I do." 

"I'm not one of this countries great minds, I have an excuse." 

"Tell me something I don't know." Sam teased back. 

"How about that onion place? Bonnie said it was good." 

"Onion place? Ceeg still here?" 

"Yeah." 

Sam picked up the phone and dialed CJ's office. 

"It's me, Ginger and I are going out for dinner, if you can name the restaurant Ginger is thinking of you can join us." 

"Sam...?" 

"Ginger calls it the onion place." 

"Onion .....Vidalia, are you buying?" 

"Sort of." 

"I'm putting my shoes back on. See you in five." 

"You like the limo privileges don't you mi amour?" CJ asked on the way to the restaurant. 

"Yes, it's the best perk of my wife's job." 

"His wife, our little boy has grown up Ceeg." 

"Yes, our little Sammy has grown up and become a big boy." 

"Keep it up and I'll stiff you with the check." 

"Mara got you a companion credit card?" 

"Cards, she doesn't want me using mine for anything other than gifts or business expenses. Toby calls me a kept man but I don't mind." 

"Remember Sam, Mara loves gifts and she has never met an expensive piece of jewelry she didn't like." 

"Mara doesn't like pretentious jewels or gaudy jewels, no matter how expensive they are. She's all about the gem stone's quality. She knows the 4 C's better than some jewelers." 

"She took her jewels out of the safe one night for me and I swear Harry Winston would have been jealous." Ginger added. 

"That explains the basket pin." Sam said with a grin. 

"What do you mean?" Ginger asked curiously. 

"The week before we got married, Mara was updating her will and there was a Polaroid of the pin with your name written on it." 

"Oh wow, I can't believe that, she's so sweet. I guess she could really tell how much I loved it." 

"What pin?" CJ demanded. 

"It's a gold basket with twenty flowers made out of tiny gemstones. The petals are emeralds, rubies, opals, pearls, citrines and sapphires. The pin is about an inch tall and wide." 

"Oh, I've seen that, she wears it with a green linen shift dress. I told her I'd provide a good home for what I call her Caribbean ocean set." 

"Platinum setting right, that was beautiful. Mara said she didn't wear it often." 

"She had this killer body hugging dress that had all those blue/green colours in it but she spilled something on it and it never came out. I told her she should wear it with an all white dress." 

"That would look great." 

"Mara isn't even here and I'm in the middle of girl talk." Sam muttered. 

"You may as well call her now Sam." CJ chuckled before returning to her conversation with Ginger. 

Sam found the number in his cell phone list and hit dial. An operator picked up and Sam identified himself and asked for Mara. After two rings a laughing Abbey picked up the phone. 

"Samuel, have we declared war?" 

"No Ma'am, I strong armed North Korea though." 

"What did you score?" 

"84." 

"That's a great first effort, I hope you are pleased." 

"I'll take it, I'm aiming for above 90 next time." 

"Over-achiever, I'll pass you to your wife." 

"Hey Baby, how did it go?" 

"I got an 84." 

"Pretty good Sam." 

"It's OK, you would have got a 100." 

"Yes, but I'm brilliant." 

"You are oh so humble too." Sam replied sarcastically. 

"I'm impressed you are actually home." 

"I'm not, I'm on my way to dinner with Ginger and Ceeg. We are now in front of Vidalia." 

"Yum, go for the filet of sole with sautéed spinach and green beans instead of the potatoes, they aren't cooked very well. Tell Ceeg the Beef Wellington is superb and don't let Ginger order the stuffed wild mushroom chicken. It was dry as a bone and Leslie still complains about it. Tell her to have the sole." 

"So what are you doing?" 

"We are sitting out on the verandah drinking wine and talking." 

"With your pills, are you insane?" 

"I'm nursing a glass, one glass won't kill me. Damn Abbey just realized what I was doing and now I don't have a glass. Thanks Sam." 

"Anytime. Well I'm starving, sweet dreams and I'll call you in the morning." 

"Kill joy." Mara muttered. 

"That's me, I love you." 

"Yeah, yeah, they all love me. Night." 

"Night Brat." Sam chuckled and hung up. 

********************** 

Sam flopped down on the couch, kicked off his shoes and curled up for a nap. It was well after one and he'd have to be up in less than five hours. He hadn't been sleeping well during Mara's absence and CJ had booked him on Nightline that night. It had been difficult to keep his left hand out of view but the last thing he wanted was anyone to notice his wedding band. The phone rang and Sam wanted to kill whoever it was and refused to answer it. A few moments later his cell phone started ringing, forcing him to dig it out of his pocket. 

"Hello" Sam snarled into the phone. 

"I saw you on TV tonight, you are so damn sexy when you are all puffed up." 

"Mar, can we have phone sex in about ten hours, I really need some sleep and I'm grumpy as hell." 

"Missing me, I see." 

"Yeah, now can I please hang up and try to get four hours of sleep." 

"Kay, I can tell you my news later." 

"Now I'm going to be wondering what it is, tell me quickly and I promise to be more enthusiastic later in the day." 

The building across the street from the Embassy went on the market this morning and I bought it." 

"Why?" 

"I'm going to turn it in to Canada Place, a retail space filled with just Canadian products. I have three words for you:Beavertails in Washington." 

"Yum, now good night Mara." Sam turned the phone off and was asleep in minutes. 

*************************** 

Sam watched Mara hobble off Marine One with Abbey from the Oval Office. Practicality kept him from running out to her and sweeping her up in his arms. He noticed her grimace when she stepped up to the walkway of the Portico. He went over and poured her a glass of water and was holding it when Leo opened the door from the porch and Killer came dashing into the Oval Office. 

"Well hello Killer, did you miss me?" Sam asked in his speaking to Killer tone. 

Killer responded with a meow and rubbed against Sam's leg then flopped down for a foot petting. Sam still thought Killer was the strangest cat for liking to be petted with people's shoe clad feet. Sam watched Mara bustle her way in on crutches, she was very adapt at using them. Sam wondered if he would have been faster on them if he could have actually seen. 

Sam smiled and brought her a glass of water. Mara took the glass and motioned to an agent carrying her purse and carry on bag. Sam retrieved her purse, took the second last pill out of the vial and quickly handed it to her. Mara downed it. 

"Thanks, how could you tell?" 

"I can recognize that grimace of pain at a thousand feet." 

"Yes, you know all too well about ankle injuries. Now kiss me." 

Sam happily obliged his wife until the President walked in with the First Lady and jokingly told Sam to rent a room after putting in a full days work. The President's attention was diverted from Sam and Mara as Killer jumped up on the desk and mowed loudly at him. 

"That's scandalous Killer, Abbey and Mara wouldn't give you any treats today? Well, I'll deal 

with them later but I think I can rectify that situation for you right now. " 

Jed pulled a packet of treats out of his coat pocket and put a few on the desk for Killer to inhale. He looked up at Jed again and got four more treats before Abbey snatched the packet out of Jed's hand. 

"Killer, you are officially cut off, you'll make yourself sick. Don't give me that look Mister, I know exactly how many treats you've had today. Hello Sam." 

"Hello Ma'am, how was your trip?" 

"Relaxing, Mara I'm going to call Dr. Cohen now and get you an appointment for the morning. I'll see you in the residence. Jethro, join me." 

Jed sighed, picked up Killer and followed his wife back out the portico doors to the residence. 

"If I didn't already know, I certainly know who really wears the pants in that family." Sam said just loud enough for Mara to hear him. 

Mara chuckled, told Sam that was the way it should be and leaned herself against the desk for support. Sam was only slightly surprised when an agent picked up Mara's carryon bag and left the room with it. 

"Mara, sit down properly and raise your leg." Leo ordered. 

"If I sit, I won't want to move again and I need to make it down the portico to the elevator. I'm just taking a rest." 

Leo ducked into his office and came back with his chair. He ordered Mara to sit. Mara obliged since he had on his don't mess with me face. 

"Sam can roll you right upstairs then return my chair. So how are you feeling?" 

"Brilliant idea Leo, that's why they pay you the big bucks." 

"What big bucks?" Leo laughed. 

"I think my toe is better, I haven't messed with it at all, just in case. My knee is pretty good just a little tender and the bruises are all but gone. My ankle on the other hand is almost as painful as it was a week ago. Abbey's been monitoring me all week long and on Friday we tried to replace the morphine with 3 Advils. Let me tell you that was not one of Abbey's better ideas. Killer barely brushed my foot and I was in tears. My last pill wore off just after we took off from Andrews on Marine One and I couldn't get at my purse and I didn't have any water. The only reason I'm not in tears right now is that I know in fifteen minutes the pill will take effect." 

"Sorry to hear that kiddo, I hope the pill kicks in quickly. Sam I'm going to read your report at Home. Your work day is over, just don't cause your wife anymore pain." 

"Thanks Leo, enjoy the rest of your Sunday." 

Leo kissed Mara on the cheek, reminded Sam he wanted his chair put back as soon as Mara was upstairs and went into his office to pack up for the day. 

"You ready to go up?" Sam asked. 

"Can we wait until I feel no pain?" 

"Sure, sorry I feel asleep on you last night." 

"Yeah, I don't know what was worse, you falling asleep or me going on and on for ten minutes not even realizing you were asleep. So where did you tune out." 

"Maybe I should answer that when you aren't feeling any pain." 

"Sam!" 

"Mar, I'm sorry but I haven't been sleeping well, I've been here to at least ten every night and if it wasn't for Ginger literally dragging me to eat I might have had one meal a day. I've drank more coffee this week than a co-ed during exam week and when I crash, I crash. I was listening to you but my brain had stop processing information. You were telling me about who you were going to approach to be in Canada Place." 

"Well Beavertails and Laura Secord are a given. I was thinking Roots and Club Monaco would be great for clothing. I want to open up a Tim Horton's and a Licks for food and I was thinking of calling the general store Oh Canada." 

"Tim Horton's, the Starbucks just up the street from you isn't going to be too happy." 

"Do I look like I care? They sure didn't when they set up in Canada across from Tim's and Second Cup's. I'd actually like to have a Second Cup too, they make the best hot chocolate but I don't know how they'd feel about it. Two coffee places in one building seems extreme." 

"Maybe you could find a franchisee who would want to run it as both. They make money no matter who's cup of coffee it is. Second Cup doesn't have donuts or cakes, Tim's doesn't have Italian soda or a wide variety of teas, plus as you claim no one except you makes a better mug of hot chocolate." 

"Good idea Sam, I could put a picture of you up saying I use to drink other coffees until I tasted my first Tim Horton's now It's Tim's or nothing." 

"Very funny, except I will still drink the coffee Ginger brings me every morning. Tim's doesn't have my Caramel Mac. If it's a normal cup of coffee, I agree Tim's is the best, it's got to be that extra caffeine they put in that makes it so damn satisfying." 

"I was thinking of introducing a loyalty card program for Canada Place but Jed will bankrupt Laura Secord buying French Mint bars." 

Sam laughed, "Oh and like you wouldn't be trouble to the Beavertail guy? I swear Mara, if I hear you offering no rental fee just all the Beavertails you want free, I'm going to warn the guy or girl that it's a horrible deal. " 

Mara made a face at Sam. "Actually I'm going to buy the Beavertail License myself. It will be run as part of Licks but I'll pay all the initial running costs until it's self sustaining. My profits from anything in Canada Place will go to Charities here and back home." 

"Yeah it's not like you need the extra income. Licks will get a lot of business from Toby and I. There really isn't any thing like Licks in DC." 

"Licks is original and I've never been able to make a homeburger as good as theirs, I hate my hamburgers." 

"So that's why we've never had them." 

"Yeah I don't mind BBQ ones so much but soon we can just go to Licks." 

"So how fast can you get this together?" 

"I placed personal phone calls to the head of Licks and the head of Tim Horton's on Thursday. The owner and soul shareholder of Licks, sort of knows me from the praise I'd heap on Licks and my choice in using them as caters whenever I could. I only had to use my name not my Ambassador tag with her and she sounded really enthusiastic and was thrilled that I wanted Licks to be the main food vendor. She thought making it a corporate restaurant would probably be the best idea and that as long as the rent wasn't out of this world she'd commit as soon as I sent a property contract to her. Tim's thinks a corporate store might be the way to go also. They'll get back to me in the next week if they have a franchisee who would be interested in owning it, given the conditions I set." 

"Ah your whole living wage not minimum wage pay scheme right?" 

"That and hiring Canadians when ever possible, using Canadian suppliers when one exists, environmentally friendly etc." 

"So it should be open by Christmas time." 

"I hope sooner than that. Too bad this couldn't be ready in time for my Canada Day spectacular." 

"Even you couldn't pull that off I'm afraid." 

"I know, I tried to see if I could but there is no way. I'm going to leave my permanent mark on this city in more ways than one." 

"Should I pen the ballad of Mara Whitford?" 

"Give it a few years to let my legend grow first." Mara laughed. "Kay you can wheel me upstairs now." 

"I assume we are spending a few more nights in the Seaborn Sky Parlour." 

"Yes, I can't do our stairs yet, Abbey keeps telling me she's going to officially change the name of it to the Seaborn's Suite." 

"I'm sure she will, let's go Hopalong." 

Mara shot Sam a look and pointed towards the portico. Sam decided that it would be prudent not to antagonize Mara further, now that she wasn't in pain and had two crutches to hurt him with. 

Sam made the wise choice since Mara, was contemplating her plan of attack. 


	2. My Father's a Bastard

Mara was quickly loosing her patience as Sam continued inscribing her cast. She was none to thrilled when Dr. Cohen told them that her ankle would have healed a lot faster if she had broken it. He recommended immobilizing it in a cast for two weeks to help insure that it didn't get jostled as the ligaments and tendon tried to repair themselves. He checked out her broken toe and was satisfied with it's healing. Sam knew that the most disturbing news Mara heard was that it would probably be a good three months before she could wear shoes with more than an inch heel. They weren't practical and often hurt her but Mara, thought of her stilettos as a mere extension of her body. Sam couldn't help chuckling when she told Dr. Cohen that he better be writing her another prescription for morphine because there was only so much pain she could take and the anxiety of stiletto separation had pushed her right over the edge. Dr. Cohen rolled his eyes and wrote the prescription for 30 mg for another ten days. 

"Mar, my schedule isn't too bad today. I'll pick you up at work at 6::15 and we can go home and have a special dinner. You can consider going up the stairs then we can go back to the residence." 

"Sam, this sucks! My cast is only going to come off at the end of the month. I'm throwing this amazing Canada Day bash and I'm probably going to be on crutches for it." 

"I guarantee you are going to be on crutches. Mara, if you don't let your ankle heal properly you won't be able to wear your beloved heels again. Just remember that when you are tempted to not use your crutches." 

"Like you used your cane?" Mara replied. 

"Do as I say, not as I do." Sam retorted. 

"Just get out of the car and go get my pain pills." 

Sam returned five minutes later with Mara's morphine and tossed a bag of Good and Plenty on her lap. 

"Thanks." 

"You're welcome." 

Sam was dropped off at the White House before Mara was brought to the Embassy. Toby filled him in on what he missed in senior staff and told him he changed about twenty words, added some punctuation and handed Sam's 4th of July speech to the President. 

"I asked for ideas Sam and you give me a full speech that I wish I'd penned. It was good Sam and I'm sure the President will love it." 

"Thanks Toby, I started with an idea and the words just continued to flow. I was done in an hour." 

"Try to replicate that feat on this." Toby tossed a file on Sam's desk and left. 

Sam had just started reading the file when Toby summoned him with the bounce of a pink ball. Sam ignored it until he read the same sentence three times. He pushed his chair back and stalked out the door. 

"What, do you want?" Sam asked exasperated. 

"How did that thing go the other day?" 

"What thing are you referring to?" 

"The thing with Nancy." 

"Oh, I strong armed North Korea and got them to stand down. Nancy gave me an 84." 

"She was grading you?" 

"Yeah, I have another situation test in less than a month." 

"You really like this foreign policy stuff?" Toby asked more as a statement. 

"I really do, I'm quickly developing a passion for it." 

"Interesting, now get back to work." 

Sam managed to get hold of Anna before she left the mansion and asked her to help him plan a special evening for Mara. She agreed to run to the market for him and promised she'd be back in time to accept dinner when it was delivered. Sam tossed the first draft of the speech Toby wanted on his desk and left promptly at 6pm. The car was waiting for him and they were at the Embassy ten minutes later. Sam decided to go up to collect Mara, nodded at the security guard at the desk and took the elevator for the sixth floor. 

Leslie was waiting for the elevator to go home and stopped when Sam got off it. 

"She's on the patio, blowing bubbles and muttering about ice cream Sam." 

"Hi Leslie, her morphine must be wearing off. Dr. Cohen lowered the dosage by 10 mg and she's due for a pill at seven." 

"That would explain why she's been distracted the last little while. I guess it's hard to think straight when you are in pain." 

"Yes it is. Have a good night Leslie." 

"You too Sam." 

Sam picked up Leslie's phone and called Anna to make sure they had ice cream in the freezer. Anna let him know that dinner had just been delivered and that she was going to plate it and leave it in the oven set on low. 

Sam opened the door to Mara's office and found her on the patio staring off towards the Capital furiously blowing bubbles. He looked at her desk and found her bottle of pills sitting in the middle of it. 

He opened the glass door to the patio and called out to her. "Come take your pill Beautiful and we'll go home." 

Mara blew the last of her bubbles, dropped the wand inside and capped the bottle. She turned and gave Sam a half smile. 

"I can't take my pill until seven." 

"Are you in pain?" 

"Yes." 

"Then take the bloody pill as you would say. Fifty minutes isn't going to kill you and maybe if you are asleep you won't notice when it wears off later." 

"Fat chance, it will wake me up." 

Mara hobbled back in to her office with her crutches, took a pill out and swallowed it with the flat, remnants of her diet Dr. Pepper. She checked Tuesday's schedule and decided she didn't have to be in before eleven. Sam, slid her computer into her briefcase, slung her purse over his shoulder and held her office door open for her. Mara flipped the old fashioned slate that served as her name plate and hastily scribbled an 11 on it so Leslie would know what time she'd be in. 

Mara got in to the limo and propped both feet on the facing seat. Sam amused himself by reading what people had scrawled on her cast since Mara closed her eyes and didn't say another word. 

Sam quickly dropped everything just inside the front door then went back downstairs to help Mara get out of the car. He looked around and since no one was in sight, swept her into his arms and carried her inside. 

Mara looked around and saw the dinning room table set for a romantic dinner, fresh Gardenia's floating in a glass bowl and space cleared so she could rest her right leg on a chair. Sam gently placed her on the couch and went in the kitchen to turn the oven off. 

"What's for dinner Sam?" 

"You'll see in a minute. Do you want ginger ale or sparkling grape juice?" 

"I want anything alcoholic but I'll settle for ginger ale." 

Mara still couldn't tell what was on the plates Sam placed on the table and decided to investigate since her pill had started to take effect. She found her favourite Thai chicken satay with glass noodles, sticky rice and fresh spring rolls. She bite into a spring roll and grinned. 

"Thanks Sam, did you get an extra order of spring rolls for my lunch tomorrow?" 

"I got myself shrimp rolls, you want one?" 

Sam placed a champagne flute of ginger ale beside both of their plates. "I got an extra order of chicken and noodles that we can split and I got you two orders of spring rolls." 

"Thanks for lunch and I'll stick to my own spring rolls." 

"Until I met you I didn't know the difference between a fresh spring roll and a day old one but now I've become a spring roll snob." 

"They are better fresh but I still love having left overs for lunch. I should give your Mom a call tomorrow and confirm her stay for Canada Day." 

"Yeah that would be a good idea." 

Sam helped Mara to the couch and brought back a large bowl filled with blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Mara was too busy devouring the berries to say much and Sam quickly discovered that he better eat some berries now because Mara would finish them all in one sitting. 

Mara popped the last blueberry in her mouth and smiled at Sam. 

"I want ice cream, bring me a pint of Cherry Garcia, a spoon and just so you know, I'm not sharing." 

"Mar, you never share your ice cream. In fact, you rarely share anything other than your opinion are you sure you weren't an only child?" 

"Ha, ha, go get the ice cream pretty boy!" 

Mara had just finished polishing off her pint of ice cream when the phone started to ring. 

"I'll get it." 

"Good, since I had no intention of picking it up." Mara replied with a grin. 

"Hello?" 

"Unca Sam!" 

"Hey Jenna, how are you?" 

"Bored, how was the beach?" 

"Anguilla was very beautiful, I wish I was still there." 

"Did you go swimming?" 

"Everyday and I went sailing too. How can you be bored? Did you finish all those books I gave you?" 

"I finished the last one this morning." 

"You should ask your mom to take you to the library." 

"I can't keep the books if I get them from the library. Daddy will take me to Coles this week if I bug him enough. So who is your favourite author?" 

"Charles Dickens." 

"He wrote Scrooge right?" 

"Yeah. It's called a Christmas Carol." 

"No, I'm talking to Sam. You are wrong if you think I'm eating that for dinner. I am not being rude Mommy, you are the one talking to me when I'm on a long distance phone call. Sam, Mom wants to talk to Aunty Mara. Tell her radishes are cruel and unusual punishment would ya." 

"I will Jenna, Oh hi Sue." 

"Hi Sam, that child is going to be the death of me yet. Is Mara around?" 

"Yeah, I'll bring the phone over to her." Sam covered the receiver with his hand. "It's Sue." 

Mara took the phone. "Hi Sue, what's up?" 

"How was the honeymoon?" 

"Wonderful, I didn't want to come home, but when do I ever want to come home when I've been at the beach house?" 

"True, did you get your pictures back? I put a set of all the ones we took into the mail this afternoon." 

"Thanks and yeah they are back. I'm going to do the order sometime in the next few days." 

"Cool. Jenna is bored out of her mind and driving me crazy. She's finished school next Friday and I'm going to send her down for the summer." 

"Not good. Sorry Sue, but you are going to have to deal with your daughter for a change. In case you've forgotten, I'm a newlywed and hold down an Ambassadorship. You brought her in to this world, so you've got to take care of her all summer long. Not that you care, but I've broken my foot and I'm in no mood what so ever for company. Sam's Mom and sister are suppose to be coming down for Canada Day and I'm going to be hobbling around on crutches so the answer is no." 

"You broke your foot?" 

"Yes, I'm in lots of pain and my script for morphine runs out in 9 days." 

"Ouch, sorry. What do I tell Jenna?" 

"Tell her that you are going to figure out a way to amuse her since I'm unable to take her." 

"You should be feeling better by August though." 

"Sue, give it up! If I have the time and the inclination I'll call you and let you know that she can spend a week here. Don't count on it though." 

"Okay, well I hope you feel better and let me know when the pictures arrive." 

"I will, night." Mara hung up the phone and rolled her eyes at Sam. "Sue expected us to take care of Jenna for the entire summer." 

"The entire summer?" 

"Yeah. She's crazy." 

"Uhuh, I love Jenna but she does have parents who should be parenting her not us." 

"Exactly, I love Sue but she tends to only think about herself." 

"Do you want to attempt the stairs first or just go back to the residence?" 

"I think I can handle them with the cast if you want to go get our stuff from the residence." 

"Really, make it up the stairs first and then I'll go." 

"You doubt my abilities?" 

"I doubt your body's ability to follow your commands." 

"Oh yea have little faith Samuel." Mara muttered before using her crutches to help her stand up. 

She used her crutches until she was at the foot of the stairs then carefully climbed the stairs Once she was at the top she stuck out her tongue and told Sam to go fetch their things. She hobbled in to the bedroom and got ready for bed. Mara had just powered up her computer when the phone rang. 

"Hello" 

"Mara, is Sam there?" 

"Lily, you sound funny is everything all right?" 

"I have to speak to Sam." 

"He should be back in about half an hour. I'll have him call you the second he gets in." 

"I'm not at home. I'll call back in forty minutes." 

"Lily, can I stand in for Sam? You sound like you've been crying." 

"Sweetie I have to talk to Sam first. I'll call back." 

After Lily hung up the phone Mara sat in bed trying to figure out what was wrong. She didn't think it was a medical problem or a death in the family but not knowing was driving her crazy. She checked the time, decided she had just enough time to call Jenna and dialed. 

"City morgue, you stab them, we slab them." 

"Jenna, that sounds horrible! Stick with the: Your quater go ahead or Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood speaking, would ya?" 

"Oh all right Aunty Mara. Where's a good place to hid radishes?" 

"Right next to the brussel sprouts." 

"Eww, I forgot there was something worse than radishes." 

"Jenna, you must be tired since you forgot parsnips and turnips." 

"Parsnips suck but you know turnips aren't great but they are edible." 

"Your Mom has finally started the conversion. In three years Jenna, you'll be telling me how yummy they are with lots of butter and I'll totally ignore you like I do to her." 

"I don't think so, but what do I know. I'm the kid who use to love liver." 

"You'll grow back into it when you are older. That reminds me I haven't had a good liver and onions in a few years. That will be my side mission tomorrow, finding out who serves great liver here." 

"Eww gross! Mommy said you broke your foot. How did you do it?" 

"Well actually I'd be healing faster and be in less pain if I broke my foot. I broke my pinky toe and really did a number on my right ankle. I tore tendons and ligaments and twisted my knee. I tripped on the lip between the dinning room and patio at the beach house." 

"Ouch, sounds painful, I hope you feel better soon. When did you do it." 

"Three days before we were leaving and thanks, it is." 

"Well at least it wasn't the third day of the honeymoon." 

"Yeah I guess but it still sucks. You better be in bed young lady." 

"I am. I'm reading Anne of Green Gables for like the twentieth time." 

"Hey I've worn through four copies of it in my lifetime. You can't beat Anne." 

"Gilbert sort of reminds me of Sam." 

"I can see that, I think of Josh when I'm reading about Gilbert too. They way we use to fight, well we still do but it's more for fun now." 

"I like Uncle Josh a lot, he's like a big kid and distracts easily. Donna was always telling Josh that I was more mature than him. Those two crack me up." 

"They crack all of us up. Well Jenna, I better getting going, Sam should be home in a few minutes and it will take me that long to make my way to the bathroom. I just wanted to touch base with you since I didn't get to talk to you earlier." 

"Yeah Mom hung up pretty fast. I'm going to pray every night that your ankle gets better soon and the pain goes away, because I won't make it through the summer without getting to visit for even a weekend." 

"I can't promise you anything Sweetie, but hopefully you can spend a week down here towards the end of August. I love my job, but I don't really get a summer recess now. I can't put in an appearance at work for two hours anymore and then goof off with you. Well not for two or three consecutive weeks like before. Two days is about the most I can manage and that's giving Leslie two weeks notice." 

"I know and I understand, it sucks but that's life right?" 

"I'm afraid it is, with responsibility comes well responsibilities. Tell you what, I'll brain storm and come up with some ideas to keep you sane all summer long and Purolate them to you by your last day of school." 

"Cool beans, I was thinking about using some of my Birthday money to get myself a real camera. Give me photo journalism assignments." 

"I swear Jenna you have to be the only seven year old who knows what a photo journalist is." 

"I can spell it too, want to hear me?" 

"No, I'll take your word for it and I really have to go to the bathroom now. Sweet dreams my sweet and go easy on your poor Mother." 

"Yes Mara, good night." 

Mara eased her way out of bed and hobbled in to the bathroom. She looked at her watch and wondered what was keeping Sam and hoped he hurried up or he'd miss his mom's call again. She had just made it back to bed when she heard the door close, then the phone started to ring. 

"Sam, get that, It's your Mom, something has upset her." 

"Kay, call Killer ." 

"Killer! Come up here Fuzzy." 

Killer waited to see if Sam was following him and when he didn't, the cat tore up the stairs and ran down the hallway jumping up on Sam's side of the bed. 

"Meeeow."(You called) 

"There's my favourite fuzzy guy, come here and I'll give you a good neck scratch." 

Killer purred and got right beside Mara, rubbing his chin on her hand to dictate which way he was going to be scratched. He purred loudly when she started gently rubbing his temples and flopped down on the bed. Mara was giving Killer all her attention and wasn't even trying to see if she could hear Sam on the phone. 

"Hi Mom, can you hold on for one second." Sam put the phone on hold and grabbed the portable in the kitchen. 

"There, I'm back. Mara said you sounded upset. What's wrong?" Sam asked as he flipped the tab open on a diet Coke. 

"Oh Sam, I don't...I can't believe he........all this time.......all those times.... I thought he was working himself too hard.........and now...28 years Sam, it's been going on for 28 years......"Lily dissolved into tears. 

Sam had a sudden sick feeling in his stomach. "Mom you have to tell me what's wrong. What's been going on for 28 years?" 

It took Lily a few moments to choke back her tears long enough to say, "He's been cheating on me with another woman." 

"Oh my God, for 28 years?" 

"Yes, apparently he set her up in an apartment in Santa Monica and has been fornicating with her for 28 years." 

"Bastard" Sam muttered. 

Lily seemed to have composed herself as well as could be expected."Thank heaven for small mercies there isn't a bastard child too." 

"Mom when...how did you...Can I......." 

"In hindsight, I've know something has been up this past year. Your Father was colder to me then ever before and spending almost every night supposedly working late. The number of nights he seemed to not even come home were adding up. It seemed like on the cruise over Christmas that he rather be anywhere else on earth. I guess he wanted to be with her. I demanded he spend some time with me and he had the audacity to tell me that he had to work to keep me in the lifestyle I'd been accustomed to. I was furious with him." 

Lily paused to take a deep breathe before continuing, "Then we got back and heard about your accident. I wanted to rush right to your bedside, but your Father said that you were out of the hospital, there was nothing we could do for you and he was really swamped at work because I forced him to take 3 weeks off. I told him that giving you a hug and telling you in person that I loved you and was sorry I wasn't with you sooner, wasn't a waste of time. He told me that was why he paid long distance bills and that "He has Martha to mother him now." 

"Martha?" Sam asked incredulously wishing he could strangle the life out of his Father. 

"Yes, I told him that his future daughter in law's name was Mara and that it might be a good thing to remember. Sam, he seemed so disinterested in everything but getting back to work. Don't get me wrong, he was relieved that you were going to live and upset that you lost your vision...." 

"Mom, don't defend him to me. How did you find out?" 

"We ran out of milk around five yesterday. My car is in the shop so I called him at work. Beatrice told me that he had just left so I called his cell phone. She must have just called him because when he picked up he said Look Baby I just left work I'll be at the apartment in less than an hour get naked cause I'm horny as hell." 

"Oh Mom, I'm so sorry. He's a complete jackass." 

"Yeah, well I told him to get his ass home, we needed to talk immediately and that when I was finished with him he'd be anything but horny." 

"So he's been keeping her on the side all these years, paying for an apartment for her and all those times he was never around for us he was f-ing her?" 

"Pretty much, I asked him why he kept this affair going on for so long? He had the nerve to say that he had made a commitment to me. When he meet her, I was pregnant with Beth and busy taking care of you. He felt neglected and everything was just so easy with her, that she understood his every need and that it wouldn't be right to leave me with a toddler and an infant on the way." 

"It wouldn't be the right thing? Hello this is the same man who got you pregnant both times and use to tell me that I was the best gift of love you ever gave him? So cheating on us, all the lies and deceptions, leaving you to almost be a single mother was THE RIGHT THING TO DO!" 

"I know Sam, I know. He told me he was glad it was out, that now he didn't have to lie anymore and that he never stopped loving me. I told him that was nice, because I stopped loving him a few hours ago and that he was to leave my house immediately. Everything Sam, all these years has been a lie. My life has been nothing more than a bad soap opera plot. He has......"Lily began to cry once more. 

"Mom, I don't know what to say, I wish I could come through this phone and hold you in my arms. I could speak to Leo in the morning and be there by ......." 

Hearing her son's offer quickly stopped Lily's tears." Son, I love you so much but, I really need sometime time to myself. I need to digest all of this, break a few things and decide how I'm going to proceed. You know as well as I do, that you've just had three weeks off and that the Federal Government doesn't stop running because my life has come to a screeching halt. I'm going to go up the coast for a few weeks. I went out and bought myself a new cell phone this morning the number is 555-1489. If I need anything I'll give you a call O.K.?" 

"Are you sure Mom? Right now I could care less about my job. Mara can support me if worst comes to worse." 

Lily chuckled for the first time, "Oh Sam, you'd drive Mara nuts if you were unemployed for more than a few weeks. I don't feel fine right now, but I will be fine. What will make me happy right now, is for you to go tell your wife that you love her and that I'd like a rain check for Canada Day. Now go on, it's getting late for you and you need your sleep. I 'll call you in a few days once I'm settled. I love you Sammy, good night." 

"I love you too Mom, good night." 

Sam hung up the phone and swatted the untouched can of diet Coke into the sink. Mara heard the clang and called down to Sam who didn't respond. He stood motionless at the patio door, staring off into the darkness, trying in vain to organize his thoughts and emotions. Mara just knew something was very wrong with Sam and made her way downstairs to find him. She stood at the threshold to the kitchen trying to read his face from the reflection in the glass but she couldn't. 

"Sam?" She asked softly then louder until he turned around to face her. 

He had the saddest look on his face that she'd ever seen and yet his eyes were full of rage. 

"Sweetie, did someone die?" 

"More like murder, my father murdered his marriage. He's been cheating on us for 28 years and is relived that my Mom found out." 

"Oh Sam, I'm so sorry." Mara said softy and walked closer to wrap him in her arms. 

She lost track of how long they stood there not saying a word. Mara felt helpless, all she could do was hold him, gently rubbing his back.. She wished he'd cry or yell or do something but if there was one thing she'd learned from the accident, it was that Sam's automatic response to grief was to bottle it up inside while she blew up like Mount St. Helen's. 

"Sam, my leg is going to give out any second, we need to move this to the couch." 

"Sorry Mara, I forgot, you must be in pain." 

"No need to apologize as long as we move. Come on let's take this upstairs." 

"Want me to carry you?" 

"No, just don't make any cracks about me being as slow as molasses going uphill in January." 

Sam smiled, "Is that some Canadian saying?" 

"My Grandma use to say it and I've heard Abbey say it, so no smart ass." 

"So you are only going in at 11 tomorrow?" 

"Yeah but there is this cocktail party I'm suppose to be going to at 6 so I won't be home before 8. You better order us dinner." 

"Mar, I have a feeling that I'm going to be really late tomorrow. I think it's going to be safer to fend for ourselves." 

"Sam, if you are going to be stuck there late, I'll bring your dinner and you can take a break for an hour or so. So assume, unless you are going to make it home, you'll see me around 8:30 with food." 

"O.K." 

Mara was near the top of the stairs and waited until she was safely on the second floor to say anything. 

"Sam, what did your Mom tell you?" 

"Mar......" 

"Sam, I really want to know exactly how you are feeling and what you are thinking, but for tonight I'll settle for the facts as you know them. You have to understand that I will be playing shrink in the very near future. Bottling it all up inside is not only horrible for you but it drives me stark raving mad which is also very bad for you." 

"Kay, let me get ready for bed and I'll tell you." 

"You've got yourself a deal Handsome." 

Mara waited for Sam to crawl into bed, took a sip of water and looked at him. Sam still didn't feel like talking. He knew Mara would never let up on him until he told her something. He basically gave her his mother's part of the conversation word by word, including the part about his mom wanting a rain check and kissed her good night. Mara wasn't happy when Sam rolled over to face the window but rather than complain that he wasn't holding her, she snuggled up to his back and rested her arm over him. She left a soft kiss behind his ear. 

"Sam, I love you and know without a doubt that you'd never cheat on me." 

"My Mom thought she knew my Dad too Mara, what if...." 

"Samuel Norman Seaborn, you are nothing like your Father. You share a legal degree and dark hair and that's about it. You are your Mother's son, as I am my Father's daughter. Does that mean I'm going to not make time for our daughter's wedding? I think not. Get that thought out of your mind right now or I swear I'll beat it out of you." 

Sam smiled, "Violence is your answer to everything isn't it?" 

"No, the threat of violence is my answer to everything, you dope." 

"Good night Gengsis, I mean Mara." 

"Shut up and go to sleep Sam." 

When pain woke Mara up a little after two, she reached over to grab the pill and bottle of water sitting on her bed side table and quickly swallowed. She noticed that Sam wasn't in bed and sighed. She'd have to wait until her pill kicked in to go find him. He returned before she needed to move. 

"Sam?" 

"I got hungry and went down for a spring roll." 

"Sam, you look tired, forget the food and get into bed." (Just went down for a spring roll my ass.) 

Mara snuggled up to him locking his arm in a near death grip. He could lay awake all night, as long as he was in bed, where she knew there was a remote possibility he'd maybe drift off. There was so much she wanted to say but she knew Sam wasn't in the mood to listen . 

Sam ran his hand over hers, clasping on to her arm that was wrapped around him. He knew she didn't buy the spring roll story and wondered how she could read his mind so easily. He could only count on the predictability of her actions because her mind remained unchartered territory. He only got a headache trying to figure out what she was thinking. 

Sleep was impossible, since his mind was still racing. He couldn't help thinking about all the times his Dad disappointed him because he had to work. Every time he promised to be at an event important to Sam, he never showed up or arrived when it was almost over. By his sophomore year of high school, Sam just stopped asking. When he graduated, his Father showed up two minutes into his valedictorian speech. Sam was hurt, but he always quickly forgave his Father because he admired his dedication to his clients. Now he knew that it had all been a lie. Sex was more important to his Father than his family. He started counting off the events he missed and eventually fell asleep when the count was around 400. 

After a little more than an hours sleep, the alarm sounded and Sam quickly turned it off. It took him several minutes to pry Mara off him and he took a long shower which didn't make him feel any better. He downed two cups of coffee and poured a third for the car ride. 

"Morning Sam." Ginger called as he slunk into his office. 

When Sam failed to answer, she poked her head in to the office. 

"Boss, you look like hell." 

"Whatever, any messages?" 

"No. Senior Staff is in fifteen." 

Sam, didn't acknowledge Ginger, which lead her to believe he was in a bad mood. When she heard him swearing that someone stole his pen, she figured he had a huge fight with Mara and left him alone. 

Sam, spent most of the day avoiding everyone, drinking massive amounts of caffeine and dodging phone calls from his Father. The sixth time Ginger told him that his Dad called again Sam blew up at her. 

"For God's sake Ginger, use your brain! I obviously have nothing to say to the man. Next time he calls tell him I've left the country." 

Ginger was startled and figured Sam's mood had nothing to do with Mara. She asked Donna, if Josh, knew what was bugging him. Donna, didn't have a clue but promised she'd send Josh over to find out.. Josh, knew something was wrong, when Sam's office door was closed. He knocked and opened the door. 

"Ginger, what part of leave me the hell alone do you not get?" Sam snapped not even looking up. 

"Whoa, no wonder Ginger is hiding out in my office. Sam what the hell has got into you today? Mara bitch slap you?" 

"No, drop it Josh, I've got work to do." 

"Fine I'll call Mara and ask her then." 

"Go to hell Josh." 

"Yo Pretty Boy, I'll go ten rounds with you today. What the F is your problem?" 

"You want to know what my problem is? You really want to KNOW WHAT MY PROBLEM IS? MY BASTARD FATHER, HAS BEEN F-ING SOME WHORE FOR THE LAST 28 YEARS. SO EXCUSE ME IF I'M IN A MOOD." 

"Oh geez, I'm sorry Sam. How did you...." 

"My Mom called me in tears last night." 

"Sorry." 

"Yeah well sorry is just a board game." (Funny I never liked that game) 

"Sam?" 

(Lighten the mood before Josh ask if you want to talk about it.) "I really scared Ginger away?" 

"Yeah but only because she is worried about you and she got Donna worried about you." 

"Which is when they called you in as a reinforcement." 

"Yeah, they obviously didn't care if you yelled at me." 

"Guess not." 

"Ha, Sam go home, you don't look so good." 

"I'm fine, just tired, I have too much work to do. Tell everyone to ignore me and let me work." 

"Okay, you know it might help to take this out on your Dad instead of us." 

"I'm not ready to talk to him. I may say something I won't regret." 

"Put it in a letter, then send it, don't send it, but get it out of your system before it starts to eat you alive. I'm going back to work." 

"Josh" 

"Yeah?" 

"Close my door please." 

******************* 

"Dinner is served." Mara announced when Sam hadn't bothered to look up after she opened the door. 

"Hey, you look hot. How was the shindig?" 

"Boring as....Sweetie, you look awful." 

"I'm fine, nothing a little food won't cure." 

"Try sleep Sam, you are coming home with me." 

"Mar, I've got so much work to do. Somewhere in here are all the pardons I have to review and have finished by Friday. I got two done before I had to do a speech." 

"Isn't that Ainsley's job?" 

"No, the President personally asked me to do this. The Consul's office looks it over once more when the President signs off on my recommendations then his signature actually goes on the pardon." 

"You know Sam, there has to be 200 lawyers in the White House. Why is it that you are the only one, anyone runs to for help?" 

"Well would you want legal advice from Josh?" Sam quipped smiling for the first time. 

Mara chuckled. "True, but still...." 

"It's an honour Mara and I'm happy to do it. So what's for dinner?" 

"I picked up a Garlic sauce pizza with cashews, chicken and feta cheese." 

"Yum, hey how come a piece is missing?" Sam asked as he opened the box. 

"Ginger was leaving as I was coming in and she said a slice of pizza was the least you owed her." 

"I'm going to have to hand over my wallet to her for lunch tomorrow." 

"Sam, abusing staff is Toby's job not yours. The assistants all hold you to a higher standard. You can't go ballistic on them. I'm sure your foul mood is blamed on me. I cause enough trouble on my own, I don't need to be blamed for things I don't do." 

"That is certainly true." Sam replied before stuffing a piece of pizza into his mouth. 

Sam engaged Mara in an inane conversation during dinner and moved on to asking about the party. Mara knew she'd never get Sam to talk about his feelings at work and was not in the mood to talk about a boring party. She knew there was only one way to shut Sam up for a bit and get him to relax. She got up from the visitor's chair, pushed Sam's chair back from the desk and straddled his lap. She smiled, removed his tie and undid the top two buttons on his shirt. 

"Mar, my door and the blinds are open." 

"Sam, there is no chance of you getting sex tonight so chill." 

"I didn't think so, but you do tend to get carried away." 

"Wipe that smirk off your face Mister. This cramped office with no couch? I may tease you Sam but trust me, you will never get any sex in here. Now do you want to debate or make out?" 

"My wife is sitting on my lap, in a short, sexy summer dress that doesn't leave much to the imagination and I can either kiss you senseless or debate increased military funding. Can I have a minute?" Sam teased. 

Mara answered by jerking his head closer and engaging him in a long sultry kiss. Sam continued kissing Mara until they both needed to catch their breath. 

"So you want the pro or the con?" Sam asked as he continued drawing tiny circles on her knee cap. 

"I only debate in bed Samuel. I'll take the con if you come home with me." 

"I can't." 

"Then I suggest you get back to work so you can get home before your alarm goes off." 

"One more kiss then I need you to leave." 

"Then you better make it a good one." 

Mara stood up five minutes later, grabbed her purse and the empty pizza box and paused at the door. 

"Come on Sam, I'll get naked for you. You know you wanna! " 

Sam shook his head and smiled, "Go home Mara, I need to work." 

"Sam, don't stay here all night. I'll see you at home, If I don't run into someone who wants to take me up on my naked debating offer." 

"You are a juvenile delinquent, bye." 

"Bye, I love you, my over achieving geek boy." 

"I love you, now good bye." Sam said with a grin then went searching his desk for the pardon recommendations. 

Mara had no idea that Sam didn't make it home. She fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow and only woke for a few minutes to swallow her pill. The next morning, she lingered in bed too long and had to rush out of the house without even stopping to pour herself a bottle of orange juice for the car ride. She never saw a untouched full pot of brewed coffee in the kitchen. 


	3. Mara: the Patient from Hell

She ignored the tickle in her throat during the morning and didn't think much about two coughing fits in the late afternoon. She talked to Sam for a few minutes before he was off to a meeting in OEOB but never thought to ask him what time he got home. When she got home a little after 6 p.m. she had a bowl of pasta salad and decided a nap should get rid of the headache she'd had for the last two hours. When Mara woke up 13 hours later the searing pain in her ankle needed to be addressed and she swallowed a pill. She figured Sam had found her asleep and didn't disturb her. 

When the pill took affect, she was happy that she'd been able to sleep through the night without her ankle waking her up. She considered being able to go an extra 5 hours without morphine was the first real sign that her ankle was starting to heal. A coughing fit moments later, left her lower back tingling and her throat feeling raw. It hurt to swallow and she moaned into her pillow. 

"No, I refuse to get sick on top of everything else. Go away right now germs or I swear..." 

She was interrupted by Killer who gave her a meow that said "Shut up you loon and let me sleep" 

Another fit of coughing ensued and Mara knew she had better make it to the bathroom quickly because she would be retching due to the force of her cough. Ten minutes later, her spine was still hurting, as she rinsed the bitter taste of bile out of her mouth. She checked the time and called Leslie at the office. 

"It's me, I need you to get me into see the GP we forwarded my file to. I've just started a sinus infection and I need an antibiotic." 

"The office might not be open at eight, I'm putting you on hold." 

Leslie looked at the schedule she had just printed for Mara and sighed, another day was shot to hell before Mara even arrived. A receptionist picked up the phone and Leslie argued with her until she got fed up. 

"Look you can either squeeze her in, or I can call the First Lady who will get the Secret Service to descend on your office and speak to Dr. Horton in person. You've got five seconds to decide." 

"Hold please." The annoyed receptionist spoke to the Doctor and came back on the line a minute later. "Dr. Horton's last appointment is at 5:40, He will look after Miss Whitford afterwards. Please make sure she is here by 5:50 since the Doctor would like to get home to his family." 

"No problem and thank you ever so much for your full cooperation from the get go." Leslie replied sarcastically. 

"Mara, the Doctor will stick around to see you. You've got an appointment at 5:45." 

"Thanks Leslie, see what you can do about my schedule until late afternoon. I'm going back to bed after I down some Tylenol with codeine to stop this infernal coughing." 

"I'll figure something out, get some rest and you need to be here around 2:30." 

Mara was under the covers again in five minutes. 

Meanwhile, Leslie rebooked appointments and knew she'd have to adjust the Ambassadors schedule for the remainder of the week. It was easier to fix the schedule a few days in advance, rather than waiting for Mara to call in Friday morning, when she decided she still needed her rest. 

It took her an hour to juggle the schedule around and warn those who chose not to rebook, that it was highly likely their appointment would be canceled. Leslie loved her job and with Mara as a boss it was never boring. Leslie cleared everything off Mara's desk that wasn't urgent and set about summarizing them. Mara wouldn't blindly sign anything but she was very good at rapidly scanning documents. 

************* 

"Sam, Mara obviously didn't see you this morning or she wouldn't have let you out of the house." 

"Ginger?" 

"Sam, you look worse than yesterday and I swear I've never seen you drink so much coffee." 

"Ginger, if you're not going to be part of the solution, don't make yourself part of the problem." 

"OK, now you are really scaring me, you sound like one of those idiotic guru people. Have you eaten breakfast?" 

"No and I'm not really hungry." 

"Too bad, I'm getting you something to eat and I'm going to watch you eat it." 

"Ginger!" 

"Sam, I could ask Dr. Bartlet to stop by if you'd prefer." 

"Ginger, remind me to fire you later." 

"I know you love me." Ginger laughed as she left his office. 

Sam knew that Mara hadn't figured out that he'd been sleeping on Toby's couch the last two nights. There had been no irate phone calls or appearances, literally dragging him away from the office. He also knew that he'd be left alone, as long as, Ginger or Donna didn't find him asleep on the couch. He'd become very adept at focussing on work to avoid his personal life until he met and fell in love with Mara. He loved her with all his heart, but she mothered him, made him share his feelings and bullied him into sharing when he didn't want to. I'll deal with my Father when I feel like it, just would not be an acceptable answer to her. So his back hurt and he was tired, but the longer he worked, the less room his Father's betrayal had to fester in his brain. 

He ate the scrambled eggs, toast and fruit salad Ginger placed in front of him quickly, so she'd leave him alone. He still had five pardon requests to go through and figured he'd have just enough time to get them done by Friday. He was surprised Mara hadn't called him around lunch time, yet that gave him a chance to dodge the bullet a little longer. When his cell phone rang a little after six he knew it was Mara. 

"Hello" 

"Hey, I don't know what time you are leaving there but I suggest you get your own dinner and try not to wake me up." 

"Mar, you don't sound too good." 

"I feel like crap, I got a stupid sinus infection this morning. I just picked up my antibiotic and I'm heading straight to bed." 

"I'm sorry you feel bad. You really should eat something though." 

"I'll think about it. You forgot to feed Killer this morning." 

"Umm yeah, Mar, I've still got a ton of work to do. I probably won't make it home at all tonight. It might be a good thing since there is no chance I can wake you up." 

"Sam, you need your sleep, especially since I've been giving you my germs the last few days. If I feel like crap, you'll feel like death since your system is run down." 

(So hiding out here has been a good thing) "I can crash on Toby's couch, don't worry about me. Get some sleep Mara." 

"Sam, I'm too tired to argue with you. We've been ships passing in the night the last few days and I'm not amused. I'm asleep when you get home and your gone before I wake up. It's summer Sam, you shouldn't be this busy." 

"I hate to break this to you Sweetie but the Federal Government doesn't stop running because you want it to." 

"We'll see about that." Mara laughed before she started coughing again. 

Sam listened to her hack for a good five minutes, just long enough to make him feel really guilty, when she came back on the line. 

"I'm home, I need some water, I hope you come home." 

With that, Mara hung up her cell phone leaving Sam to ponder her words. He looked at the 3 remaining pardons on his desk and knew that he couldn't have them all ready for the President in the morning if he went home. He also knew that he'd probably get a few hours of sleep on Toby's couch instead of a restless night listening to Mara cough up a lung all night long. He started reviewing the third case when a disturbing thought entered his mind. How many times had his father told his Mom that he wouldn't be home because of work and then left to go see her. Sam knew in his case it wasn't a lie, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was failing as a husband. He knew it was under extremely different circumstances but Mara tossed her career aside to be by his bedside after the accident. The conversation he had with Anna started replaying in his head. 

He'd taken Anna out for her birthday just before the wedding while Mara was spending a few days in Toronto. Their chit chat had turned into Anna telling Sam that she thought they made a cute couple until the accident. She went on to tell Sam that as much as she adored Mara, she was amazed at how selfless she became when he was sick. For the first time he fully understood why Abbey was so concerned for Mara's well being. Anna had described Mara as the living dead until he came out of the coma. That information didn't shock him as much as hearing how exhausted and frazzled Mara looked when she popped by the house . He listened to Anna tell him that she walked into their bedroom a few times to find Mara sobbing on the bed because she felt so useless and exhausted and that she couldn't fall apart in front of him because he had so much more to deal with. Anna had told him, that the depth of Mara's love for him took her breath away and that she knew that their upcoming marriage would last. Sam knew what he had to do. He picked up the phone and hoped Ainsley hadn't left for dinner yet. 

"Hello" 

"Hi Ains, are you busy?" 

"Oh geez Sam, I was just going to grab dinner and take a bit of work home with me. What do you need?" 

"I need three pardon files finished by the morning." 

"Sam, you really need to learn how to budget your time more effectively. I'm on my way up." 

"I could manage my time perfectly Ainsley, if there were 30 hours in a day." He muttered. 

Ainsley was surprised to see Sam's door closed and knocked once before entering. She had heard from the rumour mill that Sam had swapped personalities with Toby this week. However, she wasn't, prepared to see Sam looking almost as pale as he did the first time she visited him in the hospital. 

"Sam, I want Chinese, you know what to order. Now throw in a six pack of Fresca, let me use your office and give me the three files." 

"I've been working one file for about two hours now, so how about I finish it and you...." 

"Oh my Gawd, Sam, look at this." Ainsley proclaimed. 

Sam got up quickly and went over to see what she was pointing at in Toby's office. As soon as his attention was diverted Ainsley sat in his chair and threw her arms across all the files on his desk. 

"What the hell did you see?" 

"Nothing but that's a mighty fine derrière you have there Samuel." 

Sam blushed and turned around to find Ainsley sitting in his chair with a smug little grin on her face. 

"Hayes, get out of my chair." 

"It's mine now, get out of my office and let me get to work. You can use Ginger's phone to place my order." 

"Ainsley!" 

"Sam, I'm serious you looked better when you were recovering, go home now or I'm disturbing the First Lady." 

"You know, she doesn't scare me that much any more." Sam tossed back. 

"Then you won't mind if I give her a little call to let her know you are going home." 

"Dirty Republican." 

"Oh I know you secretly wish you could be one of us. Order my food now Sam!" 

"I'd rather listen to the President talk about every word in the dictionary for the rest of my life than stoop so low as to become a Republican." 

"That's what they all say, now I'm serious Sam order my food and get out of here or do I need to call Mark and get Capital Beat to film this?" 

"Hayes, remember I'm the only person in this administration who tolerates you." Sam bantered back. 

Ainsley choose to ignore Sam and started counting down from ten and giving Sam the evil eye. He finally picked up his phone, called the Chinese restaurant and placed Ainsley's order. She handed him his briefcase, asked if he'd leave his suit jacket on the back of the chair, in case she got cold later and dismissed him with a wave of the hand. 

"You have provided me with some entertainment now leave me." 

Sam headed toward the door, his back slightly hunched over and Ainsley thought he looked like a lost puppy. Since he wasn't moving all that quickly, she got up and tapped him on the shoulder. As soon as he turned around, she wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him in for a hug. She was pleasantly surprised that he didn't pull away immediately. 

"Sam, what's bothering you, I'll let you stay, if you want to talk for a bit." 

"There is nothing you can do Ains, there is nothing anyone can do. It's just...." 

"It's just what Sam?" She asked softly still hugging him. 

"My Mom called me the other night in tears to tell me that my Father has been having an affair for 28 years and......" 

"Oh Sam, I'm so sorry. I bet you'd rather go back to your worst day of physio instead of having to deal with this." 

"Yeah, I knew there was only so long Melissa could inflict pain on me." 

"Exactly, I won't pretend I know how you are feeling but I know how I'd feel. Not all the pastries in the world could console me for quite some time. Go home Sam and let Mara take care of you, she's really good at it when you let her." 

Sam slowly pulled out of the embrace and smiled sadly at Ainsley before leaving a soft kiss on her forehead. He turned at the door and smiled softly, melting Ainsley's heart. 

"You know Hayes...." 

"I know, I know, for a leggy, blonde, Republican sex kitten...." 

Sam chuckled, "Hayes, would you let me finish a sentence just this once? I was going to say that other than Mara you are the only person that I don't mind losing a debate to. Thanks Ains." 

"That's what friends are for Samuel, night." 

"Night." 

Sam arranged for a car to take Anisley home when she left and sat down on the East Wing steps to wait for the Limo to arrive. He put his briefcase over his knees and put his head and arms down on it.. He was so tired that he didn't hear Abbey calling his name or notice her sit down beside him. She finally had to nudge his knee with his own to get his attention. Sam looked up and attempted a smile. 

"Nice try Sam, you look wiped." 

"I am." 

"I had the kitchen make Mara some chicken soup. Pour some in to a mug for each of you and make sure Mara finished hers." 

"Thanks Abbey." 

"I was talking to her earlier, I forgot how violently she coughs. Sam, make sure she fully understands that if she wants to take Tylenol with codeine, she can't take her morphine. She can take 3 Tylenols every six hours." 

"Kay." 

"Sam, it's Cheese day tomorrow, I'm sure Margaret could give your assignments to Josh. Ainsley said you only have two more pardons left and she agreed to finish them. Sleep in for a change and call Margaret around noon. Consider it a directive from the First Lady's Office." Abbey added with a don't mess with me grin. 

"Yes Ma'am." 

Abbey reached over and ruffled the back of Sam's hair. "I'm going to go back inside, so you don't have to tax your brain too much coming up with one or two word answers. Good night Sam." 

Sam chuckled softly and waved good bye to Abbey as the car pulled in to the East Wing Colonnade. The chicken soup went straight into the fridge and it took every ounce of strength he had to make it up the stairs to bed. He was so tired he didn't bother hanging up his clothes, leaving them in a pile on Mara's fainting couch. He felt for Killer before sliding into bed. He'd just dozed off when Mara started coughing. He rolled over and began rubbing her spine until she finely stopped coughing. 

"You're home." 

"Ainsley agreed to do the last two pardons for me. You don't sound stuffy." 

"I feel like a sack of dirty that has been run over by a big rig." 

"Abbey gave me a big pot of soup, it's in the fridge I knew you wouldn't want it now. She wants me to make it clear that if you take Tylenol....." 

"I know, I can't take my morphine." Mara rolled over and looked at Sam. "Sam, you look like I feel, maybe you should sleep in the guest room." 

"Don't worry about it, I get to go in late. You are bound to fall asleep sometime." 

"You would have slept better on Toby's couch." 

(No kidding) "I thought you wanted me to come home?" 

"I did, you know how sucky I get when I'm sick. I just feel sorry for you." 

Sam pulled her into his arms. "In sickness and health, remember." 

"I love you." Mara said before sneezing into his chest. 

Sam chuckled, "Say it don't spray it, now go to sleep my germ infested, mucus filled, fire breathing dragon." 

Mara smiled into Sam's chest and quickly fell back to sleep. Sam brushed her hair back from her face and found himself wondering why his Father would just toss away the love of a good woman. 

Leo had told him earlier that his Father had had affairs. He was still trying to figure out why Leo shared that information with him. Was it to let Sam know he understood what he was feeling? Did he want Sam to be assured that the sins of the Father do not become the sins of the son? He remembered a conversation with Mallory once when Sam had taken Leo's side and said well at least he wasn't having an affair. Mallory had countered by saying her Dad's mistress was politics and Jed's Presidency. Mallory had once complimented him by saying :he was just like Leo. He had aspired to be more like him. Now he was coming to realize, that he didn't want to be like Leo. There was many things he admired about Leo but Sam vowed that he'd never let anything become more important to him than his wife and children. Ainsley was right, he did need to manage his time better, he needed to spend more time at home. 

Providence kept Mara's next coughing attack at bay until 6 am, giving them both a decent nights sleep. Sam had to move Killer to the center of the bed to get his legs free. He dashed down to the kitchen, left food out for Killer and poured himself a large mug of coffee. He could hear hacking from upstairs and brought Mara a bottle of extra strength Tylenol with codeine. 

"Kill me, kill me now." Mara muttered before flopping back on the bed. 

"I believe Josh volunteered for that job." 

"Then get him over here because it hurts to yawn." 

"Go gargle with salt water and take your Tylenol." 

"Shouldn't you be on your way to work?" 

"Nah, Abbey got to me last night. I'm suppose to spend the morning looking after you and then call Margaret to see if I need to come in at all." 

"Then call Josh and hold me while we wait for him." 

"Cute, I'm going to make you some breakfast, you need to keep your strength up." 

Mara groaned and hid under the covers while Sam went downstairs to figure out a throat friendly breakfast. Killer followed him downstairs and rubbed against his leg until Sam finally gave in and petted him with his foot. Sam figured, he'd eat whatever Mara left and made her scrambled eggs, grabbed a raspberry yogurt and poured them both a mug of Abbey's chicken soup that he warmed in the microwave. 

"Sam, I can't eat all of this." 

"I'll finish the leftovers, drink your soup." 

"Milk products are a bad idea when I'm a phlegm factory." 

"Fine, I'll eat the bacteria then." Sam made a face and quickly ate the yogurt. Mara loved it but he barely tolerated it. 

Mara picked at the eggs barely eating half of them before passing the plate to Sam. She finished her soup and commented that she could have some more of it, knowing that Sam would fetch it for her. Sam brought her another mug full and sat up in bed, smiling as she curled up resting her head on his lap. 

"Sam..." 

(Oh great here it comes) "What?" 

"I believe you owe me a weekend in Williamsburgh." 

"Yes and I believe you owe me a death by chocolate cake." 

"How about we go the last weekend in July and I'll make you the cake the following weekend." 

"How about you make me the cake the weekend before we go." 

"Deal, are you going to have to work tomorrow?" 

"Probably for a few hours, especially if I don't go in today." 

"Oh, Sam don't think I've forgotten that we are going to have a little conversation. I just want to have the strength to listen to you." 

"Doesn't matter to me." Sam mumbled. 

"Of course not, you'd prefer we never had the conversation." 

"Finish your soup and go back to sleep Bu." 

"Bu? You never call me Bu." 

"It seems appropriate since you are an infectious mess." 

Mara went into a monologue about not teasing her when she felt sick but half way through it she was snoring softly and Sam managed to get out from underneath her and went into the study. He called Ainsley and thanked her again for finishing the pardons. She told him that she handed them to the President fifteen minutes ago and was on her way to the East Wing to see the First Lady. 

Sam heard the door open an hour later and went downstairs to say hello to Anna. 

"Sam, what are you doing here after nine on a Friday?" 

"I have the morning off. Mara is still in bed." 

"She's still feeling horrible, the poor dear. Here's the mail, I'll clean down here and put the laundry in and then go. Do you want me to make her lunch?" 

"No thanks Anna, she's got soup in the fridge and I might even still be here. I'm going to go out for a walk. I'll be back in an hour." 

Sam returned an hour and a half later munching on a lemon filled Krispy Kreme donut wondering how Mara could think there was a better donut on the planet. She dismissed Krispy Kreme as too sweet and no where near the perfection of a Tim Horton's donut. She liked their custom blended chocolate milk but Sam didn't want to give her any milk products. He poured himself another mug of coffee and brought the mail up to Mara. He'd never actually changed his address so Donna always brought his mail into work with her. 

He heard Mara coughing as he reached the landing and called out to her. She was in the middle of a coughing fit and glared at him as he entered the room as if it was some how his fault. He rolled his eyes and tossed the mail into her lap before heading to the shower. Fifteen minutes later Sam found Mara waltzing around the room with a big grin on her face. The cast hindered her usual graceful glide but he had to smile. She wrapped her arms around Sam and ordered him to dance with her. 

"Mar, did you mix your Tylenol with morphine?" 

"No, Didn't you notice one particular piece of mail?" 

"No." 

"I've been invited to the Austrian Embassy's Vienna Woods Waltz. It's the 20th of August which means I'll be out of this cast and ready for dancing shoes. I have to find the perfect dress that moves." 

"Oh geez that's the night Josh and I do our annual wing night." 

"Oh, you are so going with me Sam. We are going to dance the night away. Besides, it's white tie and tails. You look so hot in them." 

"You know I hate getting all dressed up with a passion." 

"Funny, you don't seem to mind my reaction to you when you are all dressed up." 

"Mar, I'm a man, I don't care why I'm getting sex, just that I'm getting it." 

Mara swatted him on the arm and spun away from him. She started coughing again, spent some time swearing at her throat and the evil germs that dared to mess with her, before crawling back in to bed. 

"Wow Mara, I really admire that attempt to get out of bed and face the day." Sam cracked. 

"You are so not getting sex for a week when I'm better." 

"It was a joke!" 

"Well I didn't find it funny." 

"How about I go get you some more soup and paint your toe nails with that chrome pink polish. I'll even assume the role of your social secretary and get these invitations into your calendar and send them off to Leslie." 

"It would be a prudent, political strategy to demonstrate your nations fervent desire to remain on friendly terms with me." 

"Yes your dictatorship, would you care for anything else?" 

"Some apple juice would be nice." 

Sam returned to the bedroom a few minutes later with an extra large mug of soup and a bottle of water. He placed everything on her bedside table and grabbed her computer and booted it up. 

"Sorry no apple juice." 

"You're just on your way to get me some though aren't you?" 

"Actually, I was not, on my way to fetch you some apple juice. I made an executive decision and substituted water for the hitter too absent apple juice. Water is better to keep you hydrated anyway." 

"But I want apple juice!" 

"I can ask Anna to pick up a can and bring it tomorrow." 

"I want it now, go get me it!" 

"Mara, you sound like a spoiled rotten six year old." 

"I don't care, I want apple juice" 

"Then I suggest you get dressed and go get some." 

"Samuel Norman Seaborn." Mara hissed. 

"Mara Seaborn, do not give me that look. I'm not refusing you cough syrup or antibiotics, I'm simply not dashing out to buy you apple juice." 

The phone rang and stopped Mara from her rant. She picked the phone up scowling at her husband. 

"Hello" 

"Hi Sweetie, how are you feeling?" 

"Abbey, I'd feel a lot better if I had some apple juice but Sam refuses to go buy me some. You know I never thought Sam would be so mean to me when I was sick." 

Sam rolled his eyes and went back to fiddling with Mara's computer. 

Abbey chuckled, "My lunch appointment was canceled so I was going to stop by and check on you but I don't want to interrupt the Great Apple Juice War." 

"Could you bring me some more soup, it's really good." 

"Sure, put Sam on the line and I'll see you in about an hour." 

Mara held out the phone to Sam glaring at him the entire time. 

"Hi Abbey, could you tell me where I'd find the medicinal merits of Apple Juice and their use in fighting sinus infections?" 

"She's driving you nuts Sam?" 

"Oh yeah." 

"I guess you aren't too happy I forced you to take the day off." 

"Let's just say I was much more productive at work." 

"I'll bring some apple juice with me. Sam, she turns into a petulant child when she's sick. You've just got to learn to deal with it." 

"Yeah, I'll go into work for a couple of hours and clean up Josh's mess, Abbey." 

"Sam, I'll let you get away with this today. Don't count on me as a regular ally. The sisterhood and my fourth daughter will always take precedence over my secret boyfriend." 

Sam chuckled, "Yes Mrs. Robinson." 

Abbey started laughing. "Sam, you're incorrigible. You can come in to the office when I arrive." 

"Thank you Ma'am." 

Sam handed the phone back to Mara and went back to fiddling with her personal calendar entering the invitations she accepted, their weekend in Williamsburgh and the potential week of Jenna's visit. He rubbed Mara's back when she started a coughing fit and then left to make himself some lunch. He made a cheese sandwich with a fresh baguette and had a bowl of soup. He brought Mara another mug of soup and was surprised when she mumbled a thank you. He got dressed for work and sat in the study reading for pleasure until he heard Abbey at the door. 

She was one of four people who had the key and security codes to get into the house. She was expected but still announced her presence. 

"We're upstairs Abbey." Sam called out getting out of his comfortable chair. 

He stood at the bedroom door and cleared his throat until Mara looked up at him. 

"I've got to go in for a few hours, hope you feel better and I'll give you a call before I leave." 

"Kay." Mara said softly and he knew that was as close as she was going to get to an apology. 

Sam turned his back to walk away and smiled at Abbey who was heading towards him. 

"Sam." Mara called 

"Yeah?" He asked turning to face her. 

"I luv you, you big meanie." 

(She's impossible, but I just can't stay mad at her for very long.) "I love you too, you pain in the ass." 

"Ricky, go to work. Lucy stop your hair brain schemes." Abbey cracked. 

"You think I'm Lucy? I think I'd be better as Samantha." 

"Abbey as Endora? Works for me." Sam called out as he was making his way down the hall. 

"Derwood, go before I turn you into a toad." 

Mara attempted to cackle but it turned into a coughing fit instead. Abbey sat down on the bed and rubbed Mara's spine until she finally stopped coughing. 

"Mara would you stop smoking." Abbey teased. 

"Holy cow, could you imagine me if I ever smoked?" 

"I swear you are going to cough up a lung one of these days." 

"You keep telling me that it's medically impossible." 

"Yes, but if anyone was to ever make bizarre medical history it would be you Mara. When was the last time you were tested for TB?" 

"Last April when I couldn't shake that cough and ended up getting Bronchitis..." 

"That turned into walking pneumonia because you didn't listen to your doctor Missy." 

"Yeah, just my luck you were visiting me that week. You make nurse Rachett look like a puppy dog Abbey." 

"Mara, you mess with your health and you die. It's that simple, so excuse me for not wanting those I love to die on me." 

"I know and I love you for it even though Dr. Bartlet is a very scary lady." Mara said with a grin. 

"I'm going to get us both some soup and I want you to eat a sandwich. " 

"Sure, but Abbey don't you have to get back?" 

"I've decided to play hooky. I'm just going to give Lily a call." 

Abbey made them both a ham and cheese sandwich and then called Lily. 

"Hello Ma'am." 

"Lily, Mara's not feeling very good, she needs some TLC, cancel the rest of my afternoon." 

"Ma'am with all due respect, the exhibit has been on the schedule for two months. Mara is a big girl she can take care of herself." 

"Lily, if you recall, I never wanted to go to see this exhibit in the first place. Cancel it." 

"What shall I say Ma'am?" Lilly asked trying to control her temper. 

"Tell them that one of my daughters is under the weather and that unfortunately today my role as Mother supersedes my role as First Lady." 

"Yes Ma'am." 

Lily let the exhibit's host know that the First Lady was not going to be there, notified the Secret Service and let CJ know what was going on in case there was any questions. She took a long swig of her coffee and went in search of Sam. 


	4. Cheese Day from Hell

The look on Lily's face told Ginger there was going to be trouble. She forced her to wait as she popped her head into Sam's office. 

"Lily is here and she seems pissed. I'll give you a call in five?" 

"Make it four, show her in and thanks Ginger." 

"Lily what can I do for you?" 

Lily closed Sam's door and bared her fangs "You can start by going home and taking care of your pain in the ass wife." 

"Excuse me?" 

"Mara's got the sniffles so the First Lady blows off an event I've had booked for months." 

"The modern thing? A... Dr. Bartlet never wanted to go to that exhibit in the first place. She hates modern art and Toby and I had to listen to her complain about it months ago. I bet she's thrilled to have a real excuse to skip it." 

"The First Lady, represents the women of this country. Her personal tastes often don't get considered. Sam, from the moment Mara arrived, she's done nothing but undermine me and I'm sick of it." 

"Believe me Lily you never enter Mara's mind. While she does enjoy undermining as a sport, she goes after much bigger fish in the political pond. Why on earth do you think that?" 

"The First Lady and I didn't always see eye to eye but I never had problems handling her until Mara arrived. I never had to chastise the First Lady's wardrobe, remind her that water fights are inappropriate fun or had to fight for her ear until Mara showed up. The First Lady started digging her heels in about her wardrobe and she told me to go to hell in the Bahamas. If I had a dollar for every time I've heard "Mara and I were actually talking about this a..." I could retire! Control your wife Sam and let me do my job!" 

Ginger knocked once and then opened the door, "Sam, the Speaker is on line one for you." 

"Thanks Ginger, Lily was just leaving." 

"So you aren't going to do a thing?" 

"No, Lily, I'm not. I couldn't control my wife if I wanted to. I suggest you start updating your resume, because if you think for a second, you are going to win a battle of wills against Dr. Bartlet.... it's time to find a job you can handle. Oh yeah, I learned a long time ago, that there is nothing worse than attempting to handle the First Lady. She almost ate me alive." 

"Well, I...." 

"For the record Lily, if you ever put Dr. Bartlet in a position of choosing sides, not only are you going to lose, you are going to lose so fast your grandchildren will still be saying whoa! Good day." 

The vein in Lily's neck was pulsating and Sam wondered for a moment if she was going to explode. Instead she gave him a death glare and stormed out of the room. Ginger was tempted to trip her as she went by, but she thought better of it and went into Sam's office instead. 

"Wow, way to go Boss, you put her Royal Highness in her place. I can't stand her and her superior attitude. You should go sit in on CJ's meeting." 

"Ginger, just how often do you have me under surveillance and why CJ ?" 

"Notice I left the door half open, after I told you about the call? Don't worry Sam. I don't need electronics to hear what I want to. CJ's got to meet with the Organization of Cartographers for Social Equality." 

"Really?" 

"Yeah, it's going to be popcorn worthy according to Josh." 

"When is it?" 

"Twenty minutes." 

"Ginger if you make us popcorn, we'll just happen by the back of the press room and stop in to say hello." 

"Deal." 

"Hey whom did you have to see?" 

"How did you not even get a single cheese head today?" 

"Two words: pardon recommendations." 

"Oh yeah, I got people who want us to recognize Venice Beach as a state unto itself. Then I got a group of concerned citizens from Washington State who are afraid that one Tim Horton's in Washington DC is going to disturb the coffee ecosystem they've got going there." 

"You're kidding?" Sam laughed. 

"No, I'm not. They asked about getting to see The Canadian Ambassador..." 

"What did you do?" 

"I gave them your home phone number. What do you think I did Sam? I refereed them to Josh and walked them over to his office." 

"Ginger that was inappropriate and counter to the spirit of Cheese Day." 

"As CJ said earlier, you want to make out with me right now don't you." 

"When don't I Ginger Ale?" Sam replied flashing her a grin. 

"Whoa, that's exactly what Toby said." 

"Go get the popcorn Ginger and I'm going to scrub my brain to get Toby out of it. Hey where..." 

"Toby is meting with 100 or so kids from a forum hosted by World Policy Studies.." 

"I'm sure he was thrilled." 

"I think he's going to teach them how to protest. CJ made it wire only and that's...." 

"..why he wants to make out with her, I get it. Now go procure us some popcorn." 

"Donna wanted to see you this morning but I told her you weren't in. She's at lunch with her friend." 

"It couldn't have been that important or she would have called me at home." 

Ginger had just left when Josh came down the hall. "Sam, I need you to fire Ginger." 

Sam chuckled, "The coffee Mafia after you, Josh?" 

"You put her up to this?" 

"No, Ginger is evil on her own. So the coffee cartel, talk about your crackpots." 

"Yeah, I finally told them that Mara, would point out that Starbucks had no conscious when they invaded Canada and set up shop across the street for every Tim Horton's they could. I also pointed out, that she'd probably serve them Tim's coffee and they'd really have trouble on their hands because they'd love it ." 

"Did you mention they were drinking Tim's coffee in the White House?" 

"No, Sam, I didn't want to open that can of worms and Ginger assured me they didn't get coffee from our station." 

"I guess not." 

"Well, I've got to return a phone call and then head over to CJ's crackpots." 

"The cartographers? I bet they want the Pieter's Projection map to officially be recognized by the US government." 

"Peter, Paul, Bob's what is the damn difference? Gotta go or I'll miss the floor show." 

"They must have really lowered the standards the year Josh got his Fulbright." Bonnie said quietly as she passed Sam. 

Sam chuckled and went down to the mess to get a couple of Cokes to go with the popcorn. He bought a Fresca and left it sitting on Ainsley's desk. He thanked her earlier with Krispy Kreme's when he asked her about the last two pardons but she deserved one more treat he thought. A can of Fresca was his traditional thank you with Ainsley. He meet Ginger in the hall and traded a can of Coke for a bag of microwave popcorn. They entered the press room from the back and sat down facing the podium waiting for the OCSE and CJ. Carol happened to walk by and stopped inside to roll her eyes at them. She shoved a file folder at Sam. 

"Geez, you two are amateurs at this. Share the popcorn with me kiddies and I'll make you look legit." 

When CJ ushered the cartographers into her pressroom she spotted the trio at the back and rolled her eyes. 

"Popcorn guys?" 

"Sorry CJ we didn't realize you were using the room. Carol's helping us craft that message for later." Ginger said. 

"Yeah well, one kernel hits me in the head and I'm going to beat you all to death. You can stay as long as you are quite and don't disturb my meeting. Folks, I'd like you to meet the Deputy Communications Director: Sam Seaborn, his assistant Ginger and my assistant Carol who really should have been listening to me earlier when I said I was using the room." 

Carol had the good sense to look apologetic even though she knew CJ wasn't buying any of it. CJ had just started the meeting when Josh came waltzing in. from the back. 

"Wait, I want to see this." 

"This is Josh Lyman. Josh this is Dr. John Fallow and his merry men." 

Once the pleasantries were over Dr. Fallows explained the inaccuracies of the traditional Mercature map including relative size and positioning. The popcorn stopped being popped into mouths as the trio tried to find Europe while CJ started seriously thinking about where the hell anything was. 

Josh left to check up on Toby. CJ asked how they could avoid the top bottom situation and the Cartographers reversed the map, CJ told them they couldn't do that because it freaked her out and the trio chuckled. After the meeting CJ snatched the bag of popcorn out of Sam's hand. 

"Why is it that every time I walk out of one of these cheese meetings I think they have a point?" 

"Well, Ceeg, you are a sucker for cute animals which you told us Pluie was and every word those people just told us was true. Your brain automatically equates the top of anything as being more important. I'm going home, see you later and you can keep the popcorn." 

Sam had just walked passed security when he ran into Donna and her friend. 

"Sam? Ginger told me you were given the day off due to exhaustion." 

"Yeah, but she's still sick and got on my nerves so I fled for awhile when her friend Abbey showed up. Ainsley helped me out last night and I just wanted to find out what I recommended. Now I'm going home to catch up on my sleep." 

"So the pardon recommendations are done?" Stephanie asked with a fallen face. 

"Done, they've all been quickly rechecked by Tribbey's office and the President has had them for about 5 hours now. Sorry, have we met and why do you know what I've been working on?" Sam asked looking at Donna. 

"Josh didn't mention anything to you? " Donna asked. 

"Donna, I've been here for maybe an hour. I went straight down to see Ainsley then up to the bull pen. Ginger read me the riot act for being in today and left me alone for a minute before Lily stormed into my office. Then Josh happened by and we talked for all of a minute, before he had to go make some call and I went in search of Coke to go with Ginger's popcorn. You still haven't answered my question." 

"Sam, this is my friend Stephanie Gault. Stephanie and I were at Wisconsin together and bonded as the result of mutual loathing for the same ex-boyfriend. She's an associate professor of International Relations at the Maxwell School." 

(Gault? Nah can't be, just a coincidence) "What are you doing in DC.?" 

"I advice the WTO in certain areas of macroeconomics, so the odds of a global monetary crisis 

happening very soon, are fairly high." 

"What is it I can do for you, Stephanie?" 

"Sam, my grandfather was Daniel Gault." 

(So it's not a coincidence) "I see." 

"Yeah" 

"Donna, do you know who Daniel Gault was?" Sam asked starting to understand why Stephanie wanted to see him. 

"He was a White House staffer in the '40s." 

"Daniel Gault was more than that, he was a Special Economic Assistant to FDR and Special Liaison to State for Eastern European Affairs." 

"Then he was jailed for espionage and died in prison six months later." Donna added. 

"The charge wasn't espionage. They couldn't make espionage. He was put in jail for perjury for lying in front of HUAC." 

"Sam, Stephanie wants her grandfather to be included among those being considered for an executive pardon." 

"From everything I've learned you're the only person to speak to about this. That you have the ear of the President." Stephanie said. 

"Yeah" Sam sighed not thrilled that Donna was putting him in this position "I'm afraid it's impossible to demonstrate remorse since he's no longer alive. Demonstrating his innocence is also extremely complicated." 

"Sam you've already demonstrated his innocence." 

" Excuse me?" 

"You've already demonstrated his innocence and in an extraordinarily compelling way. You've also spoken eloquently on the need for his pardon." 

"When did I do that Stephanie? 

"At Princeton, for 23 pages in the middle of your thesis." Stephanie hands it to Sam 

"I haven't seen this for...where did you get it?" 

"You sent it to my father." 

"That I did." 

"I'm sure it doesn't seem like there should be a great hurry about getting a pardon for someone who's been dead fifty years, but time's become a factor." 

"Your father's dying? 

"Yes." 

Sam sighed again. Abbey was going to hurt him and Mara wasn't going to be thrilled but he couldn't say no. 

"I don't think there is much I can do, but do you both want to go to the mess and get some coffee and we can talk?" 

"Sure." Donna replied. 

"Stephanie, you understand this is a lengthy process. To start I'll have to speak to the FBI." 

"Sam..." 

"I have to give them a heads up before I do anything." 

"You aren't going to get anywhere. My Dad requested the file in the late '70s and was denied. 

He tried suing under the Freedom of Information Act and the judge ruled that the file couldn't be completely disclosed because it met three of nine exemptions allowed." 

"Yeah, National Defense and Foreign Relations Information, Internal Agency Rules and Practices, and Personal Privacy. I tried to request them for my thesis." 

"All because the FBI is simply embarrassed about this period in their history. " 

"Do you blame them?" Sam asked with a smile.. "Which is why I have to give them the heads up. Donna knows how to contact you right?" 

"We're having dinner tonight." Donna supplied. 

"I'll let you know by then. Stephanie, I really need you to understand that it's not going to be able to happen now. The pardons are in and to add even one and clear it through the process would take a month or more." 

"I understand. I just need to be able to give him some good news. He's a sweet man in a bow tie, Sam. His father... He's been trying for so long to.." 

"All right then, I'll see what I can do and get back to you." 

Sam called Mara and let her know he was on yet another damsel is distress mission. When Mara heard it was for Donna, she told him that as long as he was home by ten, he'd live. Josh, thanked Sam for helping Donna out and set up a meeting with a friend from the FBI . The meeting didn't go well. The moment, Sam stepped into the bullpen Ginger, had a message for him to go down to the situation room to see Nancy. Nancy, told Sam to drop the Gault inquiry. Sam trusted Nancy, but the lawyer in him continued ranting about the burden of proof. Nancy, finally handed him a five hundred page NSA file. After assuring Sam, she wasn't going to lose her job for showing him secure documents since she'd blacked out what was necessary, Sam knew that Daniel Gault had indeed been a spy and was responsible for a woman's death. He made his way to the now empty mess and began tossing sugar packets in a metal pot. Each little pack clang as it hit the pot. He'd been tossing them for nearly an hour when Donna found him sitting in the dark. 

"Sam, where have you been all afternoon? What are you doing?" 

"I've been around and then I came down here to practice my sugar tossing, 'cause if you don't practice, then you might as well give the clarinet to a kid who'll use it." Sam said bitterly. 

"Sam, Stephanie is upstairs in your office since Josh just got back with Toby. Were you able to..." 

"He's a spy ." 

"Are you sure? Is it possible that..." 

"His code name was "Black Water." He hand copied State Department and White House documents, delivering them to the Soviets. They included... 

"Sam" 

"President Roosevelt's plans to enter the war..." 

"Sam, you can't tell her. You have to tell her something else." 

Sam continued not even listing to Donna. "Possible recruitment targets, lists of Communists and Communist sympathizers in the State Department and National Recovery Administration." 

"Saam" Donna begged. 

"What are you, out of your mind? I'm telling her right now." Sam insisted as the rage started to boil inside him, as he made his way upstairs. 

Donna chased after him "Sam, please, you really can't do this." 

"Secret memoranda on the U.S. negotiating stance at Yalta." 

"Please stop walking Sam, you aren't in the right ..." 

Sam completely ignored her. Hell bent on finishing his mission. 

"Sam, nothing good will come from telling her." Donna pleaded as she chased him up the stairs. 

"The truth isn't good?" Sam asked incredulously. 

"No, not right now, her father is not going to live another three months... let it go till then. 

"Hey, I'm not to blame here. She asked me to look into this." 

"I'm saying, you wait three months until..." Donna gave him a sympathetic look. 

"What?" 

"You're in a bad..." 

"Donna.." 

"Listen to me! You're in a bad place right now and you shouldn't make this decision. If you don't tell her tonight, you can tell her tomorrow. If you tell her tonight, that's it." 

"Donna." 

"It was people pushing paper around fifty years ago. Why does it matter?" 

Sam stopped on the landing giving Donna a chance to catch up to him. He couldn't believe Donna didn't know why it mattered. 

"It was high treason, and it mattered a great deal! This country is an idea, and one that's lit the world for two centuries and treason against that idea is not just a crime against the living! This ground holds the graves of people who died for it, who gave what Lincoln called the last full measure of devotion. Of fidelity. You understand the last full measure of devotion to... Treason against them is... " 

Donna could see the tears threatening to spill from Sam's eyes. "Sam." She whispered. 

"Donna, there was a translator in the Hungarian trade mission named Shaba Demsky. She was murdered in 1952. She was about to reveal the name of a Soviet agent called Black Water. This girl's going to find out who her father was." 

Sam continued up the stairs until Donna's call stopped him and he turned around. 

"Sam... You meant grandfather." She correctly softly. 

Sam realized his mistake but continued down the hall to his office at a clipped pace. Stephanie stood up when she saw Sam at the door and smiled. 

"Tell me you have good news." 

"Have you ever heard of a woman named Shaba Demsky?" Sam almost hissed. 

"No, Sam?" Stephanie asked wondering why Sam looked fit to be tied. 

Sam looked past Stephanie to Donna as she stood just outside his door. (Fuck you Dad, I almost ruined two lives because I hate you so much right now. Stephanie, doesn't deserve to feel like I do and a dying man doesn't have to hear that his father not only lied to him his whole life but was a spy who got an innocent woman killed.) 

Donna watched Sam silently. She could tell he'd gone deep inside and was arguing with himself. She had to believe in Sam, that he could never intentionally be cruel to an innocent bystander. 

"I'm sorry, Stephanie. I wasn't able to get access to the people I needed, to have it considered this time around. Why don't you tell your father you'll be able to try again in three months." 

"So, you're open to it?" 

"Absolutely." Sam lied. 

A sigh of relief escaped her lips. " That's all he needed. That's all I needed." 

Donna entered the office, smiling softly at Sam mouthing thank you to him. 

"Donna did you hear?" Stephanie asked happily 

"Yeah, you should call him right now. Go use my phone, dial 9 first." 

"Thank you, everyone was right about you, Sam." 

"Sam's da man." Donna concurred. 

Sam looked crestfallen and Donna wrapped her arms around him. 

"It's just that...there are some things you are just so sure of like longitude and latitude..." 

"Sam, didn't CJ's meeting sort of put longitude and latitude into question?" 

Sam chuckled, and released himself from Donna's hug just as Josh arrived at his office door. 

"You should have seen Toby." 

"He was good? " Sam asked. 

"He blew the doors off the place. Then I almost got killed." 

"What? " Donna and Sam asked in unison. 

"I got hit with a flying piece of a banana." 

Donna and Sam looked at like Josh like he was a loon. Toby had just arrived and shook his head at Josh. "Come on let's go." 

Josh looked at Toby and grinned. "You know what you are? You are old school, my friend." 

"Cut it out Josh and let's go." 

"Let me tell you something, though. That was the second time this year I almost got killed and both times I was with you so you're going to need a new wing man." 

"You were my old wing man?" Toby ask dubiously. 

"Yeah." 

"Let's go." Toby repeated. 

"Where are you going?" Donna asked. 

"Toby and I decided we are going to get Sam drunk and then put him to bed." 

"Isn't that Mara's job? I don't think she'll be too happy to have a drunken lump beside her but I'll come too." 

"I'm going to meet you there guys." Sam said. 

"You sure Sam?" Josh asked, to which Sam nodded. 

"All right. See you there buddy" 

Sam watched them leave and started to call his Dad. He got the answering machine instead. 

"Dad, it's me...I'll try you tomorrow." 

Sam hung up the phone, drained a bottle of water and walked slowly over to the Hawk and Dove. He called Mara on the way and got Abbey who told him Mara was asleep with her head in Abbey's lap. 

"Abbey, it's been one of those days to go with the week from hell I've been having. I'm going to have a drink or two at the Hawk and Dove with Josh, Donna and Toby. I'll be home by ten I promise. Thanks for looking after her." 

"Have a drink for me Sam, then arrange for a car to be waiting at 9:45 to get you home. As for Miss Grumpy here, it sure as hell beat a modern art exhibit and arguing with Jed over dinner. I'm spending the night." 

"Will a JD on the rocks do?" 

"That should hit the spot, just don't mix your drinks young man!" 

"Yes Mom, see you soon." 

"Bye Sam." Abbey hung up the phone and went back to watching Arabesque on TCM. 

Sam drank one JD on the rocks and nursed a second until Donna got tired of the ice melting and downed it in one gulp. She offered to get him another drink but Sam declined. 

"Sam, only Josh can get drunk on one and a half drinks." Toby said with a smirk. 

"Hey! I resent that remark." Josh exclaimed. 

"I appreciate the offer to get me drunk but the world will still be off kilter in the morning and all I'll have to show for it is a hangover and a pissed off wife. A pissed off, sick wife actually, which is a very volatile situation to say the least. Thanks guys but I'm going home." 

"Bu, giving you a curfew now?" Josh teased. 

"Yeah and to tell the truth I don't really mind. What's the use of having a wife, if I never get to see her. Night guys see you on Monday." 

Sam was up and gone before Josh, Toby or Donna could think of anything to say. Josh asked about the pardon and Donna told them both what Sam found out and what he said to Stephanie. 

Toby excused himself once he finished his drink and headed home to give Mandy a call. He hadn't talked to her for two weeks and figured he'd surprise her by actually making the first call. He was worried about Sam and shuddered to think what would come next, since he believed bad things happened in three's and Sam's accident was in the old calendar year. 

The first thing Sam noticed when he walked in the door was the dinning room lights. He found a bowl of hot soup, a grilled chicken sandwich and a bowl of salad sitting on the dining room table with a note. 

Sam, eat all your dinner. Abbey's gone to bed and I'm waiting up for you. Mar. 955pm. 

Sam smiled, he hadn't eaten since lunch and he was quite hungry. He had a few spoons full of soup and poured the rest into his coffee mug and went upstairs. He knocked on the guest bedroom door, opened it and said good night to Abbey who was reading. 

Sam put the mug of soup on Mara's bedside table and flopped down on the bed. He remained silent for a few moments until he sighed. 

"I've changed my mind, can we go to Anguilla in the morning and never come back?" 

"I take it Daniel Gault really was a spy." 

"Yeah and he cost a woman named Shaba Demsky her life. I'm never going to be able to forget her name now." Sam sighed. 

"Sam, if you could forget it, I wouldn't love you as I do. So what did you tell Stephanie?" 

"That I couldn't talk to people I needed to this time around, but she could try again in three months." 

"You wanted to tell her though didn't you?" 

"I started to until I saw Donna and knew that Stephanie shouldn't pay for the sins of my father. What good would it do for her dying father to know that his father was slime." 

"It's been one hell of a disappointing week for you hasn't it." 

"That's putting it mildly. It's like everyone and everything I've ever believed in is either a lie or has lied to me. Even Donna didn't understand why treason was such a crime. She actually said and I quote, "It was people pushing paper around fifty years ago. Why does it matter?" When Stephanie first met me she tried buttering me up by saying she heard I had the President's ear on this stuff. Why didn't Donna tell her I didn't need my ego stroked to do something? After everything we've been through, she should know I'm not like that. What made her think...maybe for fun but...I'm not like that." Sam said sadly. 

"I know Sam, Donna knows it too. Stephanie probably said it first and Donna figured it wouldn't hurt. You don't always think when a friend is in need.. Tell her in the morning and I'm sure she'll be properly ashamed and sorry." 

"I'm not going in tomorrow. I don't care if we declare war on someone I've had it with that place until Monday morning." 

"Don't hold back now, tell me how you real feel!" Mara teased. 

"I feel like you are the only person left I can trust in." Sam said seriously. 

"Oh Sam," Mara said softly and gave him a gentle kiss. 

"I called my Dad and got the machine." 

"Were you relieved?" 

"I thought I was. Now that I think about it, I wish I could just give him my very low opinion of him and move on." 

"You want him out of your brain, I can understand that. Call him in the morning. Do you want to talk about it?" 

"Nah, maybe after I talk to the jackass." 

"Kay, can I finish your soup?" 

"Why do you think I put it beside you? Were you giving Abbey a hard time too?" 

"Depends, what did she call me?" 

"Miss Grumpy." 

"Then I was only annoying her. She wanted me to drink more water and I snapped my name wasn't Gail.. After you left we watched six episodes of Bewitched." 

"While you were watching Samantha twitch, I was listening to Lily bitch.." 

"You mean Lily the bitch. Lily talking to you.....let me guess, she wanted you to control your wife." 

"Technically, she wanted me to control my pain in the ass wife. I told her that was never going to happen and if she didn't like it, she should start updating her resume and look for a job she can handle." 

"Were you wearing your glasses at the time?" 

"I think so, why?" 

"The only thing I find sexier than you all puffed up or demonstrating your geek bravado is you wearing your glasses, when you are all puffed up or demonstrating your geek bravado." 

Sam chuckled, the memory of his bad day and week temporarily forgotten thanks to his crazy wife. She had the uncanny ability to change his mood in less than a minute. 

"Hey, I thought you said wet Sam ranked right up there." 

"Oh it does honey, but we haven't been caught in a rainstorm since that night on our honeymoon so it's more of a floating sexy thing." 

"I see, are you up for a little debating Mrs. Seaborn?" Sam inquired with one perfectly raised eyebrow. 

"First of all, Abbey is down the hall and while you can be fairly quiet I haven't quite mastered that particular skill yet. Secondly, a coughing fit in the middle of debating spoils the mood. Finally, I can't keep a thought in my head long enough to even handle a real debate. So I guess the answer is debate with yourself." 

"Mara!" 

The look Sam gave her, caused Mara to break out laughing which quickly became contagious as Mara teased him with rising to the occasion jokes. Abbey heard the laughter and smiled. Sam had looked rather forlorn, old and unhappy when he said good night and hearing him laughing his head off made her feel better and worry less. They finally stopped giggling and settled into a restful slumber. 


	5. Colonial Williamsburg

Mara's Canada Day was a spectacular success and was still being talked about nearly two weeks later. Her cast came of July 9th and she was given a set of five exercises to help completely heal her ankle. She had just put the finishing touches on her death by chocolate cake as Sam was due to arrive any minute. Sam walked in the door, dropped his briefcase and suit jacket on the chair and gave Mara a kiss. 

"Does this make any sense to you? Hoynes agreed to smack down the oil companies instead of the Energy Secretary doing it." 

"For starters, no one listens to the Energy Secretary. Sounds like Hoynes wants to show the voters he's not all about oil interests." 

"Yeah but what good will that do him?" 

"I don't know but if Toby obsesses over it in Anguilla, Mandy will give him one warning then leave." 

"I still can't believe he asked you if he could take Mandy there for a week." 

"Mandy told me he sort of mentioned it the night of our wedding and she held him to it. Mandy has invested in Toby and she doesn't wait for dividends she goes after them.." 

"You know that may be the best way to handle Toby. If she waited around for him she'd be waiting for ever. Is that a cake I see on the counter?" 

"Yes, I just finished your death by chocolate cake." 

"I don't see anything else, is it dinner?" 

"With a side of cookie dough ice cream and cherries it will be." 

"Don't forget the whip cream." 

"Oh I thought we could use that later." Mara replied with a look she knew Sam couldn't misinterpret if he tried. 

"God, I love coming home to you." 

"I aim to please, now pour us two big glasses of milk and get the maraschino cherries out of the pantry." 

Mara cut two large pieces of cake and placed them on a dinner plate with a double scoop of ice cream. She'd been looking forward to cake for dinner all day long and left work early so that it would be fresh and still slightly warm when Sam arrived. He handed her a glass of milk and dove into the cake. The only sounds that could be heard were low moans of approval as the decedent cake was savored. Sam cut a second slice but only managed to finish half of it before he was just too full. 

"Amateur." Mara muttered before quickly polishing off the rest of the piece. 

Sam's eyes widened as she dropped another scoop of ice cream on her plate and ate it. Mara had eaten a very light lunch knowing what would be for dinner. The next morning Sam grinned when he noticed a tiny dollop of whip cream behind her ear that he had missed. Mara had a dozen or so piles of security briefs around her on the bed and Sam decided to go in to work for a few hours. 

The week went by fairly quickly and Sam found himself thinking about Willimasburgh Monday morning when Toby dropped his briefcase in his office and left again. 

"Hey, how was Anguilla?' Sam asked hustling up to his boss' side. 

"Too damn quite, but I can't say that I didn't enjoy the fact that Mandy believes in nude sun bathing." 

Sam chuckled, "Mara too." 

"I've got to talk to Leo, I'll see you later." Toby said effectively dismissing Sam. 

"Hey Toby, you look like you didn't even spend a week in a tropical paradise." 

"Margaret, paradise is over rated and sand gets everywhere. I need to see him." 

"Go in." 

"Leo..." 

"Morning Toby, how was Anguilla?" 

"Too much damn sand and nothing to do. Mara doesn't even have a TV. It gave me lots of time to think though and did you know that Hoynes gave a speech at a semiconductor plant. The title of the speech was, "Clean air industry in the high-tech Corridor of the Industrial Northeast." 

"Where?" 

"Where else, Nashua, New Hampshire." Toby replied staring at Leo. 

"Toby, nobody, and particularly not Hoynes would be naïve enough... what I mean to say is if he's going to New Hampshire for the reason you're thinking he would mask it with something. It wouldn't be an official trip. He'd make up a benign excuse to be up there." 

"I thought of that already." 

"Well then why are you so concerned about the speech?" 

"I'm concerned because it came in the middle of a three-day camping trip to Killington. Why does Hoynes think the President isn't going to run again? What the hell is going on, Leo?" 

"Toby I have a meeting now, go back to your office and I'll talk to you later." 

"Leo?" 

"Now Toby." 

Jed and Leo had decided they had to come clean with Toby. They waited until the end of the day once the rest of the senior staff had gone home, so Toby didn't have to make small talk to anyone. If Toby's reaction was any indication, Jed wondered if he'd still have a senior staff in a week or two. 

Sam heard Toby bellowing about a leak to CJ and stayed clear of both of them all day Tuesday. He spent most of the day hiding away in the back corner of the mess, playing solitaire in-between sections until an idea popped in his head. Donna stopped by to fill him in on her confession to CJ which made him laugh and then wonder how CJ was going to enact her revenge on her. CJ stopped by just before going home to ask Sam if he knew anything about big potatoes. Sam had no clue what she was talking about and invited her over for dinner. CJ surprised herself by agreeing. She didn't want to think about what Toby was hiding since she couldn't' shake the feeling that they were about to get hit by the mother of all scandals. 

Mara was out on the deck grilling chicken and vegetables when CJ poked her head out to inform Mara she was staying for dinner and going to raid the wardrobe room for something to change into. 

"Hi honey I'm home. What's for dinner ?" 

"Felt sorry for CJ?" 

"Yeah, Toby drove her all day looking for a leak and she asked me about big potatoes. Sounded like she was in desperate need of some real food and a relaxing evening." 

"I'm sure she's very grateful. We are having an experiment with chicken and grilled veggies. I made a big pitcher of Margaritas, go pour us each one." 

CJ came downstairs wearing a flirty little sun dress and immediately picked up the drink sitting on the table. 

"Can I do anything?" 

"Yeah go relax on a chaise until dinner time. So Toby sent you on a wild goose chase?" 

"Yeah, I think he was the one who leaked the story. He's up to something but I don't think I want to know what he's up to. What ever you are grilling smells amazing." 

"I was in the mood for Margarita's and figured it might make a great marinade. I hope I'm right. Here taste this, what do you think?" 

Mara cut off a tiny piece of chicken, blew on it several times and brought it up to CJ's lips. She moved it around her mouth and then chewed on it for a few seconds. 

"Very good but a little bit sweet." 

"I thought that might happen toss me a few limes from the table." 

Mara gently rolled each lime on the table to loosen the juices before she cut into them and squeezed every last drop all over the chicken. She had to step back from the steam created by the juice hitting the charcoal. She tasted the chicken a minute later and was pleased with her adjustment. 

They talked about Anguilla, Toby's reaction to sand, played the desert island game and got Sam to give them both a pedicure in exchange for a neck and foot massage. When Mara brought the conversation around to CJ's pathetic love life, rather than fleeing, CJ challenged Mara to find her a decent guy she'd actually want to go on a second date with. Sam rolled his eyes knowing that Mara was the happiest when presented with a challenge. 

"Ceeg, I'll find you a guy so good you'll even get sex. Do you remember what sex is?" 

"I'll get you my pretty and your little boy toy too." 

"Hey, I'm not part of this, keep me out of the payback." 

"You aren't going to help me?" Mara complained. 

"Umm, do you forget I work with CJ on a daily basis? No way, now how, Nah uh.." 

"Fine, then I shall drink from the keg of glory, alone." 

"Whatever Josh." CJ quipped. 

Sam ended up doing a spit take with his Margarita and quickly cleaned up the mess to stop the death glare Mara was giving him. 

********************** 

"When's Abbey getting back?" Leo asked Jed over steak in the residence. 

"Saturday morning, so when do we do this?" 

"We talk to Babish in the morning and go from there. She's not still..." 

"Oh yeah, I don't even have her vote. The rage and freeze out are gone but the anger and hurt is still there. If my wife won't even vote for me, what the hell makes you think the people of this country will?" 

"Sir.." 

"God damn it Leo! Do you think we are in the Oval or have your forgotten my name? One way or another this country is going to find out I committed a sin of omission. Maybe I should just take my one term and call it a day." 

"That is the stupidest thing I've heard all day you jackass! Now pass me the salt." 

Jed and Leo continued to argue over dinner and straight through dessert, until Leo finally gave up and went home. He didn't enjoy fighting with Jed but he thought it might have helped his mindset. There was no way they were going to get through the bombshell if Jed wasn't willing to fight. 

After speaking to Oliver Babbish on Wednesday morning, Josh was called in at 3 am Friday morning to be told the news. He wasn't as vocally angry as Toby and inquired about the President's health but it was evident that Josh felt deceived and was not happy about it. Sam was in Philadelphia for most of the day and never returned to the White House. After telling CJ at 8 pm, it was decided over Josh and CJ's objections that there was no need to ruin Sam's weekend away. 

"Toby do you know how pissed Sam is going to be, when he finds out he is the last to know yet again?" Josh asked after closing Toby's office door. 

"If he had come back to the office, he'd know. Have you not noticed Sam is distancing himself lately? I'm not saying his commitment to us has changed but his priorities sure the hell have. Leo and I both might still be married if we had changed our priorities. Look at the President and First Lady, this place is not conducive to relationships. If you want once you have to distance yourself, to some degree. It was Sam's choice to take Mara away for a romantic weekend and not even check in. If he calls I'll tell him, but he won't." 

"Toby, this is the reason why we've got pagers." 

"Josh, the decision has been made, now leave me alone so I can go talk to CJ." 

************************************ 

Mara picked Sam up at Dulles just after 4 p.m. and they headed straight for Colonial Willamsburg. 

"I should have asked Jed to borrow Marine One." Mara commented as they sat in rush hour traffic on the I-64. 

"Oh yeah, we wouldn't have drawn any attention at all, that way." Sam retorted snidely. 

"I hate traffic!" 

"Don't worry we'll make it in time for the lantern tour and I made reservations for a late dinner in the Regency room. I figured being able to just go up to our room after dinner would be a good thing." 

"Leslie told me we need to have high tea and she wants me to bring her back something pretty from the Mary Dickinson Shop." 

"I think the tea is in Terrace room of our Inn. Every US President in recent memory has stayed at the Williamsburg Inn." 

"I've seen Abbey's pictures. It's very charming. I'm looking forward to this weekend if we ever get there." 

Sam looked out the window until he noticed a sign. "We'll be there in about 40 minutes. Now what did you say about Ginger on the phone?" 

"I found someone to set her up with. His name is Ryan Gauthier and he works in business development. He's 30, has an MBA from U of T and he is quite cute." 

"Does he have any idea you're about to set him up?" 

"Yeah, I asked him if he was interested in escorting a beautiful woman out to dinner. He said sure if it was me. I laughed and told him I was taken. I showed him a picture of Ginger from Christmas and he thought she was very pretty. I warned him that if he hurt Ginger I'd rip his heart out and feed it to him and he still wants to meet her." 

"Tell me you did a background check." 

"I'm having one done over the weekend." 

"Ok, as long as I get final approval." 

"You are way too overprotective there Sammy." 

"No one messes with my Ginger." 

"Whoa, you sound like Josh, it's kinda sweet though. I've always adored how you look out for the female population of the White House." 

"If this works out it will be ironic. Ginger made me promise she'll always have a job with me and mentioned that relocation to Canada would be fine for her. She was looking for a hot Canuck to keep her warm." 

"Somehow I don't think she phrased it quite that way Samuel." 

"Blah blah fishcakes." Sam responded with a grin. 

"I'm going to remember this next time you call me juvenile. Toss me a bag of Good and Plenty." 

"Now I only bought you 8 bags so you are going to have to pace yourself." 

Sam opened the bag and poured a handful out before passing it to Mara, who true to form wasn't thrilled that she had to share her Good and Plenty. She gave him her patented did I say you could have some? look, followed by her you've got some nerve look. 

"You and what Army?" Sam muttered with a grin. 

Mara chose to ignore Sam and popped another handful of Good and Plenty into her mouth. By the time she was polishing off the second bag they had reached the sign welcoming travelers to Colonial Williamsburg. After tossing their luggage in their suite they started exploring Colonial Williamsburg and stopped to enjoy an ice cream before meeting in front of the Capital to start their private lantern tour. 

They spent the next day exploring the rest of Williamsburg, stopping to shop and indulge in wonderful food several times. They both ordered different chocolate desserts at the Trellis Restaurant sharing them. Mara ordered two chocolate shells filled with dark chocolate mousse to eat later. After dinner they went for a long walk before retiring early to their suite. Sam smiled when he came out of the bathroom and found Mara curled up in a comfy chair wearing her Tigger boxer shorts and a very large Bartlet For America T shirt. 

"You stole my shirt." 

"Excuse me? This shirt is mine, Margaret sent me two as soon as they were made. I use to wear them all the time, but Cheryl did all my packing and put them in a summer box instead of Sleep wear. I just found them the other day." 

"Oh, what are you reading?" 

"A book on Historical Interpretation, I picked up in the College of William and Mary bookstore. It's a very pretty campus, no wonder Thomas Jefferson enjoyed his time here so much." 

"You know I've always thought Monticello was beautiful but I've never been a huge Jefferson fan." 

"I always had a problem with the fact that he was such a paradox. How could a man who thought freedom and liberty were paramount own slaves? Don't try to tell me that he tried to get emancipation into the declaration either, he could have done something when he was President." 

"I agree with you, that's why I'm not a fan. So what's the book about?" 

"Research into all facets of Colonial times to help interpreters present history." 

"Ah, I'm in the mood for a drink, you want a Bailey's to go with dessert?" 

"Sounds divine, don't be gone too long." 

"I won't, I don't trust you with my chocolate. I can't believe you ate both slices of fudge." 

"Sam, for the twentieth time I'll buy you some more in the morning. I can't resist that stuff. One rich creamy bite and I can't stop. A little pinch here, a little pinch there and suddenly there is none left and I'm licking my fingers. Now go get me a drink." 

Mara laughed at Sam when he insisted on locking up his fudge in the trunk on the way home early Sunday evening. She had bought them each five slices and had eaten two of hers already. When Sam noticed her reaching her fingers in the bag he snatched it away from her. 

"Mara, you are going to make yourself sick and ruin your dinner. I'm looking forward to some artery clogging super greasy pizza and a beer. We'll be at Sal's in ten minutes. If you feel compelled to engage your mouth for the next ten minutes, you can kiss me senseless." 

"That would be a short trip." Mara quipped. 

"Shut up and kiss me." 

"You know Sal's is the closest I've had to Montreal Pizza. The dough in the middle just makes me misty." 

"Now aren't you glad I didn't let you spoil your dinner?" Sam asked before taking another large bite. 

Mara simply nodded her head and continued eating. There was a movie theater across the street and they decided to catch a 8 p.m. show. After the movie they returned to Sal's for a hot apple pie sundae before heading home. The first thing Mara and Sam noticed when they walked in to the house was the flashing red light on the answering machine. 

"Sam who did you piss off in Philly?" 

"No one, what makes you think the message is even for me?" 

"No one leaves me urgent messages." Mara stated as she hit play. 

"Sam, it's Leo, my office 6:30 tomorrow morning, sharp." There was a pause and Leo's conversation was recorded, "He's not in any trouble Margaret, mind your own business." 

"6:30? That's cruel and unusual punishment if you ask me. Maybe it would be better if you were in trouble." Mara laughed. 

"Well I guess I'm going to bed, you were yawning in the car so I take it you're joining me." 

"Yeah, you better not wake me up at no 5:30 Mister." 

Sam knew something was up when Toby wandered out of his office to let Sam now he'd be there after the meeting. 

"Morning Sam." Leo said. 

"6:30 Leo, who are we bombing?" Sam asked stifling a yawn. 

"Sam, the President would like a word with you." 

(What the hell, Toby's waiting in his office...I'll kill him if he's quitting.) 

Leo ushered Sam through the door and sat down on the couch. 

"Sam, sit." Jed ordered before sitting on the edge of the table. 

"Sam, there is something I need to tell you. Eight years ago, a pain I had in my legs returned, as well as numbness. My vision would become blurry and I'd feel dizzy. You know Abbey, she sent me straight to an eye doctor who detected abnormal pupil responses and ordered an MRI. They found plaque on my brain and spine. I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis." 

Sam heard the words but it took his brain a little longer to process the information and let it sink in. "Eight years ago? Sir has it, I mean are you...." 

"I'm fine thank you Sam. Relapsing -remitting MS is not life threating...." 

"I friend of mine in high school's Mom was diagnosed with secondary progressive, she died five years later. Can't relapsing-remitting turn into to secondary progressive?" 

"It could." 

"MS affects the central nervous system and symptoms run the garment from numbness and blurred vision to paralysis and blindness. Memory and cognitive functions can also be affected." 

"Yeah." 

I'm sorry Sir. Wait a second, eight years ago, why wasn't this disclosed during the campaign and why do you keep getting a clean bill of health?" 

"I'm in remission, so it is undetectable in a regular physical." 

"Oh, you still haven't answered my first question Sir." 

"I decided that since it wasn't a factor not to disclose it. I had made a deal with Abbey that in the unlikely event that I actually became President that it would only be for one term. " 

"So that's why she's been so pissed at you and warned me that if I ever broke a promise to Mara she'd break every bone in my body." 

"Yes." 

"She had every right to be pissed at you. The voters had a right to know Sir, what if you suffered a relapse during a national crisis? We could have dealt with this and still won Sir. Now, we'll be lucky if they don't impeach you. Why are you telling me this now?" 

"Toby figured it out last week and I knew it would only be a matter of time before it was out. CJ can control how the story gets out." 

"Control it? Sir, with all due respect, all you can do is admit you lied and apologize profusely. 

You need to do a short Presidential address. Something along the lines of. 'I have this illness, I concealed it, I apologize. Let me tell you about it. Let me displace any fears you have about my fitness to serve.'" 

"We're working on it Sam. That will be all." 

"Sam, Senior Staff in five minutes go wait in my office." 

Sam rose and left the Oval office, going around the long way to Leo's office. 

"Morning Sam, how was Wiliamsburg?" Margaret asked breaking off a piece of her muffin and handing it to him. 

He popped the muffin into his mouth not even tasting it. "Fun, we ate a lot of chocolate in various forms. I brought you a slice of fudge but I bypassed the kitchen this morning. If Mara hasn't eaten it for breakfast I'll bring it to you tomorrow." 

"Thanks Sam, I love that stuff, it's just so rich and creamy and sweet as hell. I'm going to grab a coffee, you want one? " 

"Thanks." 

He was only alone for a minute before CJ entered the room and sat on the corner of Margaret's desk. 

"Spanky, you've got that shell shocked look. You just leave the Oval?" 

"Uhuh, we're fucked CJ. The second this story breaks our approval will be in the low 20's and the election is in 16 months. When did you find out?" 

"After the full lid Friday night. Josh found about at 4 am Friday morning." 

"No one thought this was important enough news to page me about? Or was I just an after thought yet again?" 

"For what it's worth Sam, Josh and I argued that you needed to know. I even had the number of the Wiliamsburgh Inn to give Leo. I think the President didn't want to ruin a romantic weekend since you won't be getting anymore of those for the foreseeable future." 

"You argued with Leo?" 

"Yeah, then Josh went a round or two with Toby. If you had been here I bet they would have told us both together." 

"Of course cause we are the out of the loop twins. What ever happened to you being the first call?" 

"I don't know, you tell me Laurie?" 

"Are you ever going to get over that?" 

"I don't think so Spanky." 

"Who knows?" 

"The family, Leo, the four of us, the doctor, Hoynes, Fitz and maybe the party chair. If Toby was 17, Josh was 18, I was 19 and that makes you 20." 

"I guess I can represent myself in front of the Grand Jury." 

"Grand Jury?" 

"Come on CJ, there will be an inquiry akin to the Spanish Inquisition." 

"Shit, I'm going to need a lawyer. I can't afford you. Know anyone competent and cheap?" 

"Josh?" 

"I said competent." 

They both started laughing until Toby entered the room. Sam mumbled something about forgetting a file and walked away. He met Josh and Margaret in the hall and listened to Josh complain that it wasn't fair that the assistants got coffee for Sam but never him. 

"Josh, Sam doesn't annoy us, unlike you, end of story." Margaret shot back before sitting down at her desk. 

Leo opened his door and ushered the foursome in. They talked about everything except the MS and were told that the room they used for millenium plans in the basement would be MS headquarters with a secure password to gain admittance. After the meeting, Sam returned to his office without a word. He closed his door after telling Ginger he didn't want to be disturbed for at least an hour. Ten minutes later he heard the door open and glared at Toby. 

"Last time I checked Ginger spoke in clear concise English. What part of 'He doesn't want to be disturbed,' don't you understand?" 

"Sam..." 

"Toby, get the hell out of my office." 

When Toby didn't move Sam, walked past him, closed the door and twisted the outside lock. 

"Ginger let him out in about ten minutes and tell him he better learn to listen to you." 

"Sam?" 

"Page me if you need me." 

Sam found himself walking down Pennsylvania Avenue and decided he may as well pop in and see Mara. He smiled at Leslie who told him Mara would be back in a few minutes. 

"Horrible about that oil tanker isn't it." 

"Huh?" 

"Didn't you hear Sam? An oiler tanker called Indigo crashed into the Deleware coast and covered it with oil." 

"God no, was it the Indio and Kensington Oil?" 

"Yeah." 

"Perfect, just perfect. Can I go wait in her office?" 

"Yeah sure." 

Sam dialed the office and asked Ginger to get someone in to tell him about the Indio. 

"Sure, where are you Sam? Toby was fit to be tied." 

"Good, I'm out." 

"I know, I called security. Bring me back a raspberry smoothie." 

"Kay." 

Sam sat down in Mara's chair and stared out at the Capitol. Mara really did have one of the best views in the city. 

"Well hello Mr. Ambassador." Mara said saucily. 

"Hey." 

Mara knew something was wrong when she noticed the defeated look in his eyes. "Sam, what's wrong?" 

Let's see, I'm the last to know major news again. An oil tanker ran a ground in Delaware and is going to cause millions of dollars of damage and wipe out wildlife for a decade or more. The oil company isn't going to pay a dime. I know, because I'm the one who wrote an iron clad liability shield. I'm going to have to testify before a grand jury and chances are the President will face impeachment hearings." 

"Holy crap Sam, what the hell is going on over there?" 

"The President concealed something during the election." 

"Concealed, what on earth could Jed have...oh." 

"Oh? You knew about his medical condition?" 

"More like, guessed. About six years ago, Abbey told me she had a sample of a new migraine drug she wanted me to try out. She said to grab it from her bag. I moved a vial of Betaseron with her name on it and thought it was strange but dismissed it. A few months later, my Dad sent me the New England Journal of Medicine to read a article about migraines and I noticed that Betaseron was used in the treatment of MS patients, it slows the frequency of attacks down. I knew Abbey would have told me if she had MS so I put two and two together and came up with Jed. I didn't say anything figuring if Jed wanted me to know he'd tell me." 

"You could have shared that information with me." 

"Sam, you just confirmed it for me. Abbey must have known, I knew from the concern in my voice anytime Jed got the flu but I don't think she shared that with Jed. It also wasn't my place to reveal anything. Sam, if I'm asked to keep a secret, I keep it and if I find something out by accident I keep it to myself. Unless I can use it for my own gain, but I'd never hurt someone I like, let alone love so.... " 

"You've used a secret...." 

"No, stuff I've found out by accident, overheard etc." 

"Oh, you want to write my resignation for me? I've had it with La Maison Blanc." 

"Sam, even if you were serious you wouldn't resign now. You might be furious with Jed but you know what damage you'd do resigning now. Give it six months and then if you still want out, I will write it for you." 

"That speech sounds oddly familiar." 

"Ya think? You've only given it to me twice so far." 

"I hate it when my own words come back to bite me in the ass." 

"I know Sam, you've had one hell of a year mi amour. If you hadn't married the world's most amazing woman, this year would have sucked to hell." 

"Says the world's most amazing wife. Thanks, I needed to vent for a bit. I guess I better get back to the salt mine." 

"Sam, at least it's an architecturally pleasing salt mine." 

"It's even white." Sam chuckled at his lame joke. 

Mara gave Sam a long, slow kiss and sent him on his way. When Sam got off the elevator a security guard was waiting for him. He was ushered over to the desk and given the phone. 

"Sam, there's big trouble in Haiti the Minister of Justice was arrested and soldiers are surrounding the Chief Justice's house. Intelligence reports say he's been put under house arrest. Personnel carriers are parked in front on every police station in Port- Au- Prince. I believe a coup has started. The President elect Dessaline is MIA. Jed's got to get non-essentials out of there on the down low. I'm working my connections. My intel will be faster and more accurate. I'm calling Nancy in the Sit room to pass on what I know." 

"Why would your..." 

"Cause your intel comes from my intel, Canadian Embassy in the D.R." 

"So, locked up, missing, house, cops, non e's outs, your full cooperation." 

"Yes, the car is waiting for you outside to get you back quicker." 

"Kay, thanks." 

Ten minutes later Sam was standing in front of Mrs. Landingham's desk. 

"He's in a security meeting Sam." 

"If I jot something down would you be so kind as to give it to him?" 

She rolled her eyes and handed Sam a piece of paper and her pen. Sam quickly wrote down. 

Coup in Haiti, Mrs. S is collecting info as we speak. Missing President elect, officials arrested or under house arrest and Cop shops blocked by troops. Mrs. S advises evacuation of non e's at our Embassy and is awaiting your call. 

She took the folded message and knocked at the door. 

"Sorry Sir but there is an important message for you." 

Jed quickly read the letter and smiled. "Send young James Bond in please." 

"Yes Sir." Mrs. Landingham smiled as she closed the door. 

"He would like to see you Sam. He's calling you young James Bond so you might want to tell him shaken but not stirred." 

Sam grinned and walked into the Oval office. He was expecting the look of surprise on face of NSA advisors and State Department representatives. Leo looked shocked to see him and he swore the President looked at him proudly. It would have meant more if he wasn't so bitterly disappointed in him at the moment. 

"Sam, care to share the information you just gave me?" 

"According to my sources we are facing a Coup d'etat in Haiti. President elect Dessaline had disappeared. The Minister of Justice was arrested and soldiers are surrounding the Chief Justice's house. Intelligence reports say he's been put under house arrest. Personnel carriers are parked in front of every police station in Port- Au- Prince. It may be a good idea to evacuate all non-essential personnel from our Embassy without drawing too much attention to the fact that we are doing it." 

"Get them out of there." 

One of the NSA advisors spoke up, "Mr. President, any move to evacuate the embassy, even the non-essentials, will be a signal that the US has no confidence in the Dessaline government." 

"At the moment, there is no Dessaline government; there is no Dessaline! I've just finished watching the caskets of nine military personnel return from Columbia. Evacuate the non-essentials. Get some Marines at the Embassy. And somebody brief Fitzwallace! Good day and keep me posted. Sam stay." 

The President rose and everyone rose with him and began to file out of the office. Jed picked up the phone and asked Mrs. Landingham for an outside line. The phone rang once before it was picked up. 

"Information Central how may I be of service Jed." 

"Girl, do you have a camera in here I should know about?" 

"No, I figured Sam had just enough time to get my message to you. What do you need?" 

"Have anything new for me?" 

"I think so give me a minute to get the other line." 

Mara came back a moment later. "According to my Embassy, Jake Bratt has Dessaline in his trunk and is going to try to make it into your Embassy. If there is too much resistance I've just recommended that we give the authorization to let him in our gate. Bazan is behind this, but I'm sure you figured that out already. Don't let State try to convince you this is none of our business. There can never be free elections if the military cam just swoop in and kill the victor. You guys fought to make sure there was free elections you've got to give the process your full support." 

"Now why is it that I have an entire gaggle of people collecting this information when I can just give you a call and find out what is going on in the world?" 

"Government Bureaucracy Jed, nothing can ever be done simply. It could also be that my superior intellect allows me to do the work of a hundred men by lifting just one finger." 

Jed chuckled, "Keep me informed and would you mind passing this on to Nancy. Mrs. Landingham will give you the direct number into the Sit room." 

"Don't need it, I've got it already." 

"Young lady, you scare me." 

"I scare most people, talk to you later." 

"Sam, go ask Leo to step in for a minute." 

When Leo came back into the room Jed told him to bring Sam down to the situation room with him. 

"Are you sure Sir? I might be more helpful in the basement meetings." 

"You can do both Sam. Now go be my ears." 

"Yes Sir, thank you Sir." 

"It's baptism by fire time Sam. Keep your ears open and don't just listen to what's being said but look for what's not being said. Only make your recommendations to the President. Right now only Nancy will be interested in your thoughts and she doesn't have time to hear them." 

"Got it, lets go." 


	6. No Pool Sex For You Samuel

Mara quietly slid into the pew beside Sam. She'd always liked National Cathedral but she'd give anything to not be sitting there. A loud boom of thunder made her jump and Sam pulled her into his arms. Appearances be damned, he thought as he sighed softly. 

"Somehow this epic storm seems appropriate, sort of matches all our moods since Mrs. Landingham was taken from us." 

"She lived a good life Sam and she touched all those who crossed her path. Oh hell, who am I trying to kid, this sucks." 

"Uhuh." 

"Poor Charlie, to lose his Mom and then his second mother." 

"It's not fair, she enjoyed her first new car for what ten minutes? If anyone deserved a little splurge it was her." 

"God works in mysterious ways, his...... timing can really suck." 

"Will you two shut up!" Toby hissed which made CJ punch him in the thigh. 

When the service was over Mara went up to the front pew to give Jed a hug. He seemed to have aged ten years over night. 

"She loved you Jed, don't forget that or she may haunt you." She whispered softly. 

"I wouldn't put it past her, thanks Mara." 

"See you later." 

****************** 

Mara sat curled up on the couch watching CJ announce Jed. They had all told her that it was scenario B, that Jed wasn't going to seek reelection. She didn't believe them or Jed, for that matter. She knew that grief and self doubt had been the reason he said no. Mara cold certainly understand why Jed might not want to run again, but she'd be bitterly disappointed in him if he actually went with the B answer. She knew if the situations were reversed he'd tell her to get off her ass, dust herself off and get back on the horse again. CJ told her that they arranged for the first question to be a medical one. When Mara heard the reporter ask if he was seeking a second term she flicked the TV off. She didn't have to hear him. She knew he'd say something along the lines of I'm not going to seek a second term, I'm going to win one. 

Sam was surprised to find Mara asleep when he arrived home shortly after ten. He was so tired he flopped down on the bed and had no intention of moving. The bounce of the bed woke her up and Mara turned to look at Sam. 

"Samuel, you could at least take off your shoes, you dork." She chastised. 

"Too tired." 

"Your wet, muddy shoes do not belong on my white quilt." 

When Sam didn't move Mara sighed, muttered he was a jackass, sat up and pulled them off his feet. 

"Ouch" 

"I don't care, you should have done it yourself then. Oh yeah, who was right?" 

"You." Sam mumbled wishing Mara would just shut up and let him go to sleep. 

"Sorry what was that? I didn't hear you." 

"You were right, now shut the hell up and let me sleep." He replied loudly. 

Mara picked up her pillow and whacked him as hard as she could before settling back down. A few minutes later she heard him curse and get out of bed. She chuckled to herself when she heard the toilet flush. 

"Sam, an intelligent person always goes to the bathroom before they flop down." 

"Bite me." Sam retorted on his way back to bed ignoring her giggling. 

*************** 

Mara was happy that Sam stayed in the White House during the majority of the campaign trips. The only one he went out on was to Orange County so he could have dinner with his Mom. Sam was relieved that she was back to her old self. He hated to say good bye to her but she promised to visit in the early fall. For four weeks after the announcement, Mara would drop by Sam's office around 7 with a home cooked dinner. He was at work by 6:30 most mornings and home by midnight on a good day. Sam would stop whatever he was doing when she walked into the building and take a full hour off. Mara made him a deal he couldn't refuse. He could work as long as was needed if he stopped to have dinner with her and spent a full day with her on either Saturday or Sunday. He also agreed to go back to normal hours for the duration of Jenna's visit. 

Sam was glad Jenna was spending 12 days with them. He was looking forward to her arrival on Wednesday. 

Sam had just finished eating a spinach stuffed chicken breast when he saw Doug loitering at his door. He glanced at his watch, twenty five minutes had only passed. 

"Mar, lock my door and pull the blinds." Sam requested as he put his phone on do not disturb. 

Mara got up, after noticing Doug she smiled, pointed at her watch, pulled the blinds and locked the door. 

"He bugs the crap out of me and I swear I've never heard him utter an original thought." 

"We call him the slug. He annoys the crap out of me too but Toby hates him. I swear his job seems to be to repeat whatever Bruno or Connie says." 

"Bruno has no bedside manner but knows his stuff. I've worked with him before. You just have to 

mitigate his win at any cost plans. There comes a point when you have to remind him that there is a line and you will not cross it." 

"Yeah, like the issue ads instead of soft money ones." 

"Have you told Connie that you are married?" 

"No, why?" 

"It annoys me how she only seems to want to talk to you. She's trying to flirt with you. She's not very good at it and you are always only half listening to her so you never pick it up. Donna can see it and she hasn't said anything because she thinks it's hilarious how she tries and you don't even notice." 

"Well I'm glad I can provide Donna with a little entertainment. You going swimming again?" 

"Of course, you know I hate that you have to work so long but I've loved spending two hours in the pool with Abbey every night. She's still so mad that Jed said he'd run after telling her he wasn't. She can vent with me rather than taking it out on Jed." 

"You're cheaper than a divorce attorney." 

"Funny, do you want dessert or can CJ have it?" 

"What is it?" 

"Chocolate chip cake bars." 

"I'll save half for later and Ceeg can have the rest. Hmm we have half an hour left." Sam commented giving her a sexy grin. 

"Really, that's enough time for a short debate. Be it resolved that....." 

"Be it resolved that my wife is the world's most amazing woman." 

"There is no argument against that." Mara laughed as Sam left his chair and sat on the edge of his desk in front of her. 

"Be it resolved that you are wearing a bikini under that little dress." 

"Sam, that's not a proper debate question." 

"Be it resolved that the little dress and your bikini are going to be on the floor in thirty seconds. that certainly is a statement my dear wife." 

"Be it known that I refuse to have sex with you in this office. " 

"Mara" 

"No Sam, now if you want to meet me in the pool at midnight.... but not in here." 

"So you won't do it in my office where no one will see us but you are willing to do it in the Executive pool, where I bet there are security cameras." 

"There are no cameras, I checked and confirmed it with Abbey." 

"You're no fun." 

"Samuel, you know just how fun I am and I'd be very happy to remind you later." 

"Before I leave this office for good, I will have you here." Sam said smugly. 

"Wanna bet on it Mister?" Mara chuckled. 

Sam ignored Mara and changed the topic. "So Jenna is going to be waiting for you in Ottawa on Wednesday?" 

"Yeah, Sue and Steve are driving down for the weekend and heading back after dropping us at the airport. Think you can survive without me for three days?" 

"I'll be here, sleeping on Toby's couch no doubt. So Sue and Steve will have to amuse her for 4 days in Ottawa." 

"No, I bet they will rely on Dani and Cheryl to entertain her. Sue's at the end of her rope." 

"You mean she's never had Jenna all summer long?" 

"As a baby yes, but I've had Jenna for at least a month since she's been two." 

"No wonder she worships you." 

"When she was two, after she was finished with her dinner, she'd say you can play with me now." 

"Of course you'd go with her." 

"She had me very well trained. Almost as well, as I have you trained." Mara said with a grin. 

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." 

"Well I'm off to go swimming. Shall I meet you in the pool at midnight?" 

"Yeah." 

"See how well trained you are? You yield to my every whim and desire." Mara chuckled. 

"I haven't had any in five days Mar, I'm desperate not trained." 

"You say potato..." Mara said as she unlocked the door and left the office. 

Doug had been sitting at Bonnie's desk and rose as soon as he saw Mara. She looked at her watch and Sam still had fifteen minutes left. 

"Don't you have anything better to do Doug? Go irritate someone else because Sam still has twenty minutes and I'm just going to the bathroom." 

Mara waited for Doug to amble off before stepping out on to the portico and walking around to the pool. Sam peeked out his door and smiled when he saw no sign of Doug. He beeped Toby to let him know he was going to work out of the mess and then made his way over to CJ's office to give her the chocolate chip bars. 

"Hey Spanky, I'm off for a swim, what did you need?" 

"How come you get to go swimming?" 

"You spend your hour your way, I spend it my way. That for me?" 

"Yeah." 

"Thanks Spanky. Josh is hiding in the mess, you guys really need to find a more original spot." 

"Have any suggestions? At least you can't say we are hard to find. Is it our fault Doug has the brains of a lima bean?" 

"Sam, legumes don't have brains." 

"I rest my case. You know Mara wants to have pool sex tonight. You might want to have a few words with her." 

"Press can't see it, I don't have a problem with it." CJ stated figuring Sam was merely trying to mess with her. 

CJ waited until Abbey had joined them in the pool to mention Sam's parting words. Abbey could tell by the way Mara brushed it off that it was true and started chuckling. 

"I guess Sam, was shocked by your answer." Abbey replied. 

"I don't know, I never bothered to turn around and look at him. I knew he was just trying to mess with me. FYI, you know I'd kill you, just in case the thought ever entered your mind." 

"Actually CJ this is probably the most private of all areas. No staff milling around, no one can see a thing from the gates...." 

"Abbey don't encourage her! The only sex allowed in this White House is in the Presidential bedroom." 

"I hate to burst your bubble there Ceeg but ...." 

"Mara!" 

"I hate to burst your bubble too CJ..." 

"Abbey!" 

"Oval, Lincoln, Jed's study, living room?" Mara guessed. 

"Private kitchen, Situation room." 

"Really? Situation room, that would be one hell of a turn on." 

"So confess Mara, I promise I won't tell Jed." 

"I can't believe you two, there could be a reporter lurking near by!" 

"CJ, this part of the grounds are considered part of the residence so the press can't even get near us. So spill it Mara." 

"Our suite, Mural Room and let's just say Sam will never forget which Roosevelt the room is named for again. Oh yeah Air Force One too." 

"MARA!" 

"Really? Jed and I are rarely on the plane at the same time. I think I need to start making some mile high references." 

"So you've forgiving him?" 

"I'll forgive him but I'm sure as hell never going to forget it. " 

"I don't blame you, have you got any I'm a jackass gifts?" 

"No actually. Deal breaker?" 

"Oh yeah, I'll send him a little brief from my office tomorrow. I hear Lily resigned." 

"I asked her to clear sometime so we could discuss her future, she got the message. By the way, did you two have words?" 

"No why?" 

"Are you sure, she asked if this was over the Mara thing." 

"That was Sam, she told him to control me after you played hooky and took care of me when I was sick. Sam told her he couldn't control me if he tried and not to play the pick me or Mara game cause she'd loose." 

"Ah." 

"Please, The President knows not to play that game cause he'd loose too." CJ chuckled. 

"What do you both think about Donna?" 

"As your COS?" 

"No as my love slave, of course CJ." 

"Abbey against Josh, I'm not so sure you'd win. I think she could do it, I think she'd be great but Josh will fight dirty to keep her and he'd drag Sam into it. He doesn't want to loose her on PEI." 

"She really does love PEI Abbey, I don't think she'd want to give it up." 

"Arrangements could be made and I think I know how to handle Joshua." 

"When is Lily's last day?" 

"Two Fridays from now." 

"Then I suggest CJ tells Donna her presence is required in the pool when her break is over." 

"Actually I'd like CJ to be here. Mara put a towel on and go get her." 

"Yes Ma'am." 

CJ rolled her eyes watching Mara and her little bikini getting out of the pool. She muttered I hate her to Abbey which earned her a splash in the face. Mara wondered what the next person to come up the hall would think of seeing little puddles all the way up the hall. Toby smirked at her, told her Sam was hiding and that he was about to join him. Mara spotted Donna heading away from her and called out to her. 

"Mara? Sam's hiding in the spot with Josh and Toby." 

"Yeah, go put your bathing suit on, Abbey is having a pool party." 

"Josh will have a fit." 

(You don't know the half of it.) "It's an order Donna. Go put your suit on, I'm going to get some ice cream." 

Mara stopped by the kitchen and grabbed a large tub of ice cream and four spoons. She was almost home free when Leo called out to her. 

"Mara you're dripping all over the floors." 

"Yeah that's what happens when I'm forced to go from pool to ice cream run." 

"Have you seen CJ?" 

"Yeah, Abbey has commandeered her and Donna. The rest of your Senior Staff is hiding from Doug the Slug." 

"I really don't understand what Bruno needs that one for. He is very annoying and I've come to the conclusion that his only use is raising Toby's blood pressure." 

"Why don't you tell Bruno that Doug is no longer welcomed in the White House." 

"I wish I could." 

"Leo, you're the big cheese, his presence is counter productive and you and the President will not compromise on this. Bruno can keep him on but he is to have no contact with Senior Staff." 

"Easier said than done Mara." 

"Then I suggest you spend sometime getting it done." 

"Mara go before your ice cream melts too." Leo replied with a grin. 

Mara was almost back out the door again when she heard her name being called. She turned around and sighed at Connie. 

"What?" 

"Have you seen Sam? I need to speak with him." 

"Yeah he went home about five minutes ago. Josh and Toby were taking him out for a few drinks." 

"Do you know where?" 

"No Connie and even if I did there is no way I'd tell you. They have to put up with you people enough as it is. Now if you don't mind, I'm dripping on the floor and the First Lady's ice cream is melting." 

"I get the feeling that you don't like me." 

"For that to happen, I'd actually have to give you a moments thought, which I don't." 

"Oh." 

"Connie, I overheard something earlier that I'll share with you because I know what it's like playing with the big boys. The little crushy poo you have on Sam, paints you in a very unprofessional light. Sam is clueless, but the staff has noticed and they have quite some fun chuckling about Connie's Sweet Valley High. Now I really need to go before Abbey sends the her detail to find me." 

Mara had just finished telling Abbey and CJ what took her so long and had dropped a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth when Donna came out and gave Mara a death glare. 

"You ratted me out to Connie you ...you....big meanie!" 

CJ broke out laughing and Mara looked at Donna like she had two heads. 

"Capitol Barbie? You mind telling me what evil thing I've done?" 

"Connie just asked me if I knew anything about people teasing her for having a crush on Sam." 

"Do you really think I'd name you? I told her the staff is having fun, geez Louise." 

"Oh sorry. Yum what kind of ice cream?" 

"Sorry Donna, only those who don't accuse me get some." 

"It's my chocolate fudge ripple ice cream Donna and you may have some. Mara, play nice or I'll ban you from the pool later." 

"Hey no biggie for me. I can live without sex, Sam on the other hand admitted to being desperate so you'd be hurting him more than me." 

"What does the pool have to do with....Mara!" 

"Ah ha, see Donna agrees with me." CJ exclaimed. 

"Abbey didn't you want to ask Donna something?" Mara asked ignoring CJ. 

Abbey made her pitch to a stunned Donna who asked if she could have the weekend to think about it. The four of them managed to completely finish the ice cream and a little after nine Donna and CJ left to head home leaving just Mara and Abbey. 

"So Jenna arrives on Wednesday. I was heading up to the farm house Friday, the two of you could join me and Sam could fly up with Jed, Friday evening. I know Jenna loves riding. I know I love the company." 

"I'll ask her when I see her. She simply adores her Aunty Abbey. What did you think of the pictures she sent you?" 

"I think she's very talented. She's a natural, you'd never guess she was seven. Daniel was floored when I asked him to have a look. He offered to spend a day with her teaching her more techniques and wanted her to assemble a portfolio." 

"I should call her and let her know. It will keep her busy all day tomorrow." Mara swam over to where she'd dropped her things and grabbed her cell phone. The line was picked up after three rings. 

"Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood speaking." 

"Hello Miss Thing." 

"Aunty Mara! Are you here already?" 

"No, I'm in the pool with Abbey. She just shared some news with me I thought you'd like to hear." 

"Tell me." 

"Do you remember Daniel Standish?" 

"The White House's official photographer. He sent me some great tips." 

"Well, Abbey was so impressed with the pictures you sent her, that she asked Daniel to look at them. He thinks you are a rising talent and wants you to put together a portfolio of your best work. I thought you could select your pictures tomorrow. When I see you we can go buy you a special album. Daniel also offered to spend a day tutoring you." 

"Oh wow, this is so cool. I've taken 500 pictures, it's going to be so hard to find my best fifty. This might take me a couple of days. Mom will be happy, I dragged her down to Old Montreal again today. I took some interesting shots of brick meeting cobblestone." 

"Neat, did you finish my flower assignment?" 

"Yeah, the album is all done. I finished all my assignments, even the book one Sam gave me." 

"Book assignment?" 

"Yeah Sam challenged me to find twelve books and photograph them in a setting befitting of the book. So of course, I had to read the books first to get a sense of them. Then I had to think about a proper setting and sometimes the pictures didn't express the theme clear enough so I had to go back to the drawing board. The final pictures are a masterpiece." 

"A masterpiece? My aren't we proud of ourselves." 

"Lydia's mom said she was going to speak to her boss at the gallery about hosting an exhibit for me. She said I was a true artist with remarkable vision. I agree." 

"Jenna, I don't know if I have room for you and your ego at the house." 

"Ha ha, tres amusant. If you'll excuse me, the genius needs her beauty sleep. See you Sunday night." 

"See you Sunday brat." 

"Jenna is creating masterpieces?" 

"In her own humble opinion she is. I know I have an ego but I've had more than thirty years to develop one. Jenna is going to be worse than ten Josh Lymans." 

"God help us all, if she is. So are you going to make Sam sorry he talked to CJ?" 

"Oh yeah, even though I think he talked because he was scared we'd be caught. He still isn't getting any tonight." 

"Dear, I've told you this countless times but it remains true, you withhold too frivolously." 

"I have Sam trained so well, he knows before he opens his mouth what the repercussions will be. 

Some days he gets frisky and decides to annoy me anyway. He knows in his heart of hearts he's not getting any tonight." 

"You think I have a new COS?" 

"I'd keep looking for candidates if I were you. I have a feeling Donna is going to say no." 

"Why?" 

"I don't know, I just have this feeling and my feelings are usually right. Sam asked me why I was so good at foreign policy and I had to tell him part of it was intangible." 

"Like mother's intuition, I can tell when one of my girls is lying to me in less than a minute." 

"You are very hard to lie to but I've gotten away with it." 

"No Mara, you've assumed because I haven't called you on it, you've snowed me. Trust me, I know. You've just lucked out and not lied to me when I'm in a bad mood." 

"Oy vey, now there is a situation I'd never want to find myself in." 

"Just remember that Missy. I'm starting to turn into a prune, time for me to get out. I'll see you tomorrow?" 

"Why don't you come over for a late lunch tomorrow. I'm leaving Sunday for Ottawa." 

"I'll see you around two then. Good night and don't be too evil to Samuel." 

"Night." 

Mara swam a dozen laps before climbing out and drying herself off. She put her watch back on and sighed. She really didn't feel like waiting an hour and a half for Sam to show up. She grabbed her dress, purse and heels and headed straight for the mess. She heard Toby's distinctive chuckle and knew they were still hiding out. She noticed they were playing poker and grinned. 

"Hello, don't you people have houses to go home to?" 

"Still trying to find the pool Mara?" Toby asked. 

"Oh I found it, I was just looking for my husband to tell him it was time to go home." 

"Home, I thought we were going for a swim?" 

"I'm tired of swimming." 

"Heels and a towel, interesting look there Mara." Josh teased. 

Mara rolled her eyes, dropped the towel and slid her dress on. "There that better for you Josh?" 

"If you loose the dress it would be even better." Josh said with a grin. 

"Hey stop lusting after my wife! Some best friend you are." 

"Your wife is an evil dragon but damn, is it my fault she has a hot bod?" 

"You're such a charmer Joshua." Mara replied managing to sound like a Jewish grandmother. 

"Stop channeling my Mom, Mara." Toby ordered. 

"Come on Sam, playtime is over. I'm kind of hungry so I thinking McDonald's drive thru before we get home. There is a happy meal out there with my name on it." 

"Yeah I could eat some fries. I'll clean up here and meet you in my office." 

"Fries? Can I tag along?" 

"Yeah I guess we can drop you off Josh. Hurry up. Toby?" 

"I can live without fries. I'm going home." 

Mara had the limo go through the drive thru and then drop Josh off. By the time the limo reached the mansion Mara was polishing off her last fry. Sam decided to flip through the mail while he finished his large fries and by the time he got upstairs Mara was already in bed, hugging Tedzy. 

"We should be in a pool right now." 

"Yeah, you should have kept your big mouth shut. You sabotaged yourself idiot, now good night." 

"Ah come on Mara, please?" 

"Good night Samuel." 

"You're mean." 

"I try very hard to be." 

Sam muttered to himself and climbed into bed. Mara turned into his arms and was out like a light five miutes later. 


	7. Jenna's in the House

"Delays suck Aunty Mara!" Jenna proclaimed as they made their way to the Air Canada VIP lounge in LaGuardia.". 

"Yes they do and use your indoor voice Jenna." 

"If the plane could land in New York why the heck didn't it just go to Washington instead?" 

"There is a thunder and lightening storm over the Philadelphia, Washington area." 

"Which will clear up and make its way here so we'll be grounded even longer." 

"Hey if we have to stay overnight, we will. I'm not getting in a tin can during lightening squirt." 

"It's a silly fear Aunty Mara." 

"Jenna how about we go look for a Jack in the box while we wait?" Mara asked smugly. 

"You're evil Mara." 

"The fear of Jack in the boxes is really silly Jenna." 

"All right point taken. They better have food I'm starving." 

Mara flashed her executive platinum Areoplan card and found her way to the least populated section of plush leather couches and chairs. Jenna dropped her carry on bag on a couch and scurried over to find food. Mara fished her cell phone out and dialed Sam's private line. 

"Hello." 

"Hi guess where I'm calling from?" 

"LaGuardia, I had Ginger check on the status of your flight half an hour ago. She was told you were being diverted. I'm sure you've made your way into some lounge." 

"Yeah, Jenna is foraging for food. When she gets back I'm foraging for a good stiff drink." 

"I'm going to stay at work until I get word you are actually landing. E-mail me from the plane just as they tell you to turn your computer off." 

"Sure, get me in trouble." 

"Mara you are a breathing dictionary definition of trouble so don't even try to pretend you are a good little girl." 

"Sure I'm bad but you love me for it don't you?." 

"Today I do." 

Mara started laughing. 

"What's so funny?" 

"My God daughter must have just piled every known piece of cheese and crackers on a plate. I swear it's almost as tall as her and she's trying to bring it over here." 

"Geez, think you should go help her?" Sam asked sarcastically. 

"No, I want to see if she is going to make a mess or not. What are you working on?" 

"Wrapping up PEI commitments for the fall semester so we can get a final number. Donna is trying to figure out a tracking system so we can monitor how it's going during the year. She wants to set up a database so we can communicate with the students and ask for their input. I keep trying to tell her it's too much work but she's ignoring me and keeps saying she'll handle it." 

"Sounds like a lot of work to me too. Has she mentioned anything big to you lately?" 

"Like turning down the COS position? Yeah, she spilled the news to me on Monday, ironically when Abbey was telling Josh that Donna declined the offer and he better treat her really well." 

"Well she made it over to the table, put the plate down and then one of the towers fell over. Hold on a sec." 

A minute later Jenna came back on the line. 

"Mind if I munch in your ear Unca Sam?" 

"No. " 

"Can we get pizza tonight?" 

"Sure, you've got food on the brain Jenna." 

"Of course, I'm starving since I only had an English muffin for breakfast. Aunty Mara had three Beavertails for breakfast. I better get back before Mara eats the fruits of my labour. Is it still raining there?" 

"No it stopped about five minutes ago, but it still looks dark outside." 

"Great, I'm breaking into Uncle Jed's French Mint bar stash next. I got a surprise for you." 

"Really what is it?" 

"If I tell you it won't be a surprise anymore, silly." Jenna replied before she started giggling. 

"Here is Mara again." 

"I hear you are eating the fruits of Jenna's labour." 

"Of course, so what did you think of the job offer?" 

"I thought Donna should have taken it. I even tried to change her mind but it didn't work. I have to admire her reasoning." 

"Yeah, what did her boss say?" 

"That he'd make sure she had time to take a creative writing course on line and a full night course. She's going to take a Political Science course. She actually wanted your opinion on the course they are offering on Canada." 

"Did you tell her that you might know the Prof.?" 

"No, I didn't want her to get her hopes up until you made up your mind. I know I've not weighed in on this but I think you should teach it." 

"I hear the Prof. is strongly considering accepting tenure." 

"Good, why did a Realtor leave a message confirming an open house on Sunday? She sort of mumbled but I swear I heard Maryland." 

"Oh yeah, that....umm." 

"We're moving? Don't I get a say in the matter?" 

"We can talk about this later. I'm going to go get a drink. Talk to you later." 

"You better believe we'll be talking later." San replied sharply and hung up the phone. 

"Jenna stay put I'm going to get a drink. What do you want?" 

"Dr. Pepper, I know they have it." 

Mara opened the fridge and pulled out two cans of Dr. Pepper, a Canada Dry ginger ale and a bottle of cranberry juice. She glanced over to see if there were any reporters in the lounge and poured a generous amount of vodka into a glass. She flipped the tab on the ginger ale and filled the glass half way. As soon as Mara sat down Jenna grabbed the empty glass and poured her drink in it. 

"I'm tired of cranberry ginger ale, I wish they had strawberry syrup." 

"Yeah, that was a very good combo. Now stop hoarding the cheese." 

Jenna reluctantly slid the plate closer to Mara's hand and went back to eating until she was full. After eating about nine cheese and cracker sandwiches Mara was no longer hungry and laughed as Jenna pulled out a plastic baggy that had chips in it earlier. Jenna dumped the rest of the cheese and crackers in the baggy and shoved them in Mara's purse since they wouldn't fit in to her own. 

"Can we play a game? I want to play crazy Capitals. I'll start, Ottawa." 

"Hey, you're not even giving me a chance to say no." 

"You catch on quick for an adult." Jenna quipped, "Ottawa." 

"Athens." Mara muttered. 

"St. Johns." 

"So I take it we are using provincial, state or country capitals? 

"Yes, now quit stalling." 

"I'm not stalling Jenna, I'm asking for a clarification, Sacramento." 

"Oslo." 

"Omaha." 

"Albany." 

"You give me a Y you little imp, Yellowknife." 

"Edmonton." 

"Hah, game over, what's the capitol of Nebraska, Jenna?" 

"Oma....no it's Lincoln. It's not fair you bluffed too early in the game." 

"All is fair in love and war my dear. The game was giving me a headache anyway. I'm too tired to think." 

"Then you shouldn't have stayed up all night drinking with Cheryl, Mommy, Daddy and Dani." 

"We were talking more than drinking. I was in bed by two but I just couldn't sleep." 

"Can I play pinball?" 

Mara pushed her laptop case over to Jenna. "Knock yourself out. I'm going to attempt a little snooze" Mara said and drained the rest of her drink. 

"Stretch out, I'll sit on the floor and lean against the couch. What's our flight number again?" 

"412 and no bathroom without waking me." 

"I know, I know and I think it's about time you get a private jet, a gulf stream would be lovely." 

"Do you really think I'd be in the air in a smaller tin can?" 

"I think you need to look at statistics about lightening striking." Jenna muttered. 

Mara leaned over and swatted Jenna upside the head then reclined on the couch. She could hear the sounds of the pinball game and Jenna muttering under her breath when the game didn't go her way. She had just dozed off when she felt her arm being tugged. 

"I gotta go." 

"Of course you do, I just fell asleep." 

************************** 

"Ginger?" 

"Yeah Sam?" 

"Is the plane in the air yet?" 

"I checked about ten minutes ago and the answer is no. You want me to check again?" 

"No. Do you feel like splitting, an eclair with me? Bonnie had one earlier and it looked really good." 

"Yeah, give me your mug and I'll get you more coffee when I pass back. Bonnie just brewed a new pot and Toby isn't around." 

"Did I ever tell you that after cheese day Mara did in fact get a dozen letters requesting she immediately pull the plugs on plans to include a Tim Horton's in Canada Place?" 

"No you didn't, how did she react?" 

"In typical Mara fashion, she sent single brew packs of Tim's coffee to each address with a try it you'll like it message." 

"Such a diplomatic response." Ginger laughed, "Actually I think that should win the bet for CJ." 

"Bet?" 

"Yeah, on how long it would take Mara to drop the diplomatic facade and revert back to her true nature. I think CJ went the longest by saying more than six months. Toby gave her three weeks." 

"Well you all saved me money I would have gone with four months. How big was the pot?" 

"About $600." 

"Wow, CJ better buy you dinner at the very least." 

"Yeah I think I'll go tell her I won and that Old Ebbitt tonight suits me just fine. Care to join us?" 

"Jenna has her little heart set on pizza but maybe we can swing by for an appetizers. Mara calls the crab dip liquid crack." 

"Oh it is, I've eaten it as an entire meal." 

"That's all Mara will eat there." 

"Well I'm going to go fill CJ in. You've got a meeting in the Mural room in five." 

"Mara's suppose to e-mail me when they begin the descent so would you look at my subject lines till I get back?" 

"Sure, so can I park it in your office?" 

"Yeah, I should be back in forty minutes." 

Sam headed off to his meeting and Ginger went in search of CJ to take her to dinner. CJ was standing outside her office talking to Carol when she found out that she won the bet. She happily agreed to buy Ginger dinner in exchange for her typing up the proof that CJ had won the pool. 

Sam's meeting ran over and by the time he stepped in to the office he had just missed Mara's e-mail. He said goodnight to Ginger, picked up the third of eclair she left him and headed straight for the limo to meet Mara at the airport. 

Mara was ready to throttle the airline agent preventing her from clearing the luggage area. She wanted a notarized letter giving Jenna permission to travel with Mara. At Mara's insistence, Jenna had been issued a Canadian diplomat passport so that Jenna could breeze through Customs and Immigration world wide, as swiftly as Mara. There was no need for a letter with a diplomatic passport. Mara calmly explained this four times but the agent didn't seem to care and insisted on a letter. 

"Miss, my Aunty Mara is getting madder by the second and while we fully understand the reason behind this request, I have not been kidnapped. My Mother, not only knows where I am but she wished I was here weeks ago. Furthermore, airline grounds crews have no business asking for letters, The check in agent, Customs or Immigration do that. Finally, my Aunt's diplomatic immunity gives her the right to leave you her business card for verification and walk out of here. I've got a diplomatic passport too, so do us all a favour and let us pass because I'm getting cranky right now and I will throw the hissy fit to end all hissy fits." 

"Trust me Jane, the only thing worse than being at the center of the international incident I'm about to create, is being the center of one of her hissy fits. Now kindly step aside." Mara demanded. 

"Ma'am your threats do not sway me. I'm doing my job and my supervisor will support me." 

Jenna started laughing, "Do you really think your boss won't fire your ass..." 

"Jenna!" Mara admonished. 

"Sorry, won't kick your butt to the curb when the Secretary of Transportation and the President of the United States of America call him in a few minutes and blame this all on him? " Jenna asked snarkily. 

(Dear God, she's a mini me) "Jenna no dessert, if we ever get out of here that is. You know swearing puts you on my list." 

"It's a very serious list too, I bet you are at the very top of it right now Jane. Let us go." 

"Listen kid...." The agent replied clearly ticked off and digging her heels in just to prove a point. 

"You asked for it, " Jenna growled before launching into a high pitched screeching cry. "Help, help this mean lady won't let me go. Help, Help, I'm suppose to go see my Uncle Jed and Aunty Abbey and she won't let me go. Security, Security..." 

Mara took a step away from Jenna and plugged her ears with her fingers. Wiping the broad grin from her face was one of the hardest thing she ever had to do. Security and a lead agent were by their side in less than a minute. Jenna inhaled deeply and stopped her tears when the Security guard asked her to calm down and explain what was wrong. 

"I'm suppose to be having dinner with my Aunty Abbey and Uncle Jed at the White House and my Uncle Jed promised we'd watch a movie first. Then the plane got delayed and now we are late for dinner and this mean woman has held us up for twenty minutes. I'm starving, I just want to eat but this lady will not recognize my diplomatic passport or my Aunty Mara's. Unca Sam is probably going crazy circling the pick up area. I just want out of here." Jenna said sweetly her lip trembling. 

"Mara Whitford, Canadian Ambassador to the United States. Here's my passport to prove it. If you would kindly tell Jane she is mistaken, that diplomatic papers super cede notarized letters and let us pass there will be no further need to upset and enrage five people." 

Jenna had noticed Sam standing on the other side of the glass door and ran straight to the automatic door. "Unca Sam!" She exclaimed loudly. 

She ran straight into his arms and Sam picked her up for a hug and kiss. 

"You are here to bring us to the White House." She said quickly just before the Security guard, lead agent and Jane approached them. 

Mara had never been happier to see Sam and she pushed the trolley with Jenna's luggage and her overnight bag through the gate that Jane had been blocking and left the baggage area. She chuckled at the 'What the Hell?' look on Sam's face. 

The lead agent followed politics closely and recognized Sam as a member of the White House senior staff immediately. 

"Sorry to keep you waiting Mr. Seaborn. You are escorting these ladies to the White House?" 

Mara mouthed dinner to him. "Yes, they are late to dinner with the President and First Lady and I'm afraid neither one of them likes to be kept waiting. Is there a problem? I could get the President on my cell if need be." 

"That won't be necessary Mr. Seaborn, I'm afraid an over zealous employee only read part of her handbook." She replied shooting dangers at Jane. "Ambassador, please accept my sincerest apologies. I regret this delay and I'm very sorry you were upset young lady." 

"Why was she giving us such a hard time? We weren't even flying on your airline. I don't think I ever want to fly on your airline now." Jenna sniffled. 

Sam couldn't help it, he leaned down so Jenna would hide his face and started chuckling softly. 

"You weren't flying American Airlines?" 

"No we were flying Air Canada." Mara replied. 

"I'm very sorry little girl, what is your name?" 

"Jenna." 

"Tell you what Jenna, I'm going to send four passes to your Aunt's office this week . They will be good for any where in the world American Airlines flies. You and your parents can give us a try for free and see that we are a good airline and that this was just a horrible mistake. We fly to Orlando." 

"What about Europe? I want to go back to Paris." 

"We fly to Paris daily. Where do you live?" 

"Montreal." 

"I'll make sure I send the schedule of our flights from Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto too." 

"Well you do seem nice Tessa, so I won't tell my parents I don't want to get on your planes. thank you." 

"You're welcome Jenna. Ambassador I'll send a pair of passes for you also. I really am sorry and I assure you, Jane will not be in the position to be inconveniencing anyone, anymore." 

"Good, we really must be going now. Thank you for your help." Mara turned and headed out to the limo. 

Jenna turned to look behind her and stuck her tongue out when Jane looked at her. Mara caught her out of the corner of her eye and sighed. 

"Jenna you just cheapened your win. There is no need to rub it in so obviously. A benign smile would have been more than adequate." 

Sam waited until they were all comfortable in the car before he spoke. "For crying out loud, is everything a production with you two?" 

"Sam, she held us up for nearly half an hour and she had no right to." 

"I finally, had to throw an Oscar worthy hissy fit to get us out of there. Being able to cry on demand comes in handy." 

"Jenna!" Sam admonished. 

"I want pizza." 

"We can have pizza later. CJ and Ginger are waiting for us at the Old Ebbitt. I told them we'd have...." 

"Ah, crab dip, sweet manna from heaven. You like crab and cheese Jenna you'll love crab dip." 

"Is it like spinach and artichoke dip?" 

"Yeah except it's even better and there is crab instead of spinach. It's served with an amazing baguette." 

"Kay I'm in." 

Sam heard CJ's laugh before he could see her and followed it until he found the table. 

"Hi Ginger Ale." 

"Hi Jenna bean." Ginger replied. 

"Well hello Princess Jenna." 

"Hello Princess Claudia." Jenna replied going over to give CJ a hug. 

"What took so long?" Ginger asked. 

"Trust me, you don't want to know. Ambassador International Incident and Princess Hissy Fit were putting on a stage show." 

"I'll tell you about it later, I'm in serious need of crab dip." 

"Unca Sam, can we just eat here. I'm hungry and I see something I'll like." 

"Mara?" 

"Yeah what ever." Mara replied before turning her attention to the waiter. "Hi dinner is on me. I'd like two JD's on the rocks, a sour apple martini, a gin fizz and do you have strawberry syrup?" 

"Yes." 

"Then make that one JD and two strawberry ginger ales, no ice with lime. Jenna what do you want to start with." 

"The farmhouse cheese sampler." 

"Jenna haven't you had enough cheese today?" Sam and Mara asked at the same time. 

"Okay, I 'll have the clam chowder and I want the day boats scallops in puff pastry as my main.." 

"You like saffron?" Ginger asked. 

"Yeah, about the only herb I don't like is cumin." 

"I'll have the fried calamari and the trout parmesan." Sam added. 

"I'll have the exact same thing." Ginger said. 

"CJ?" Mara asked. 

"Crab and artichoke dip and the grilled calf's liver." 

"Oh yuck Ceeg." 

"Jenna, it's really good, try one tiny bite then you can say what you want." 

"I'll have the crab dip then another one for dinner." 

"Ambassador Whitford, we know you love our crab dip, we are even thinking of renaming it the Canadian Ambassador's dip but can't I persuade you to try something else for dinner? 

"It's Tony right? Tony, I just love this dip so much that nothing else is appealing to me. In fact I want two orders to go." 

"What are we going to do with you?" 

"As long as you keep me in dip, I don't care." Mara laughed. 

Mara gave up protecting her dip. When Sam wasn't assaulting on the right Jenna was sneaking in on the left. Ginger and CJ had decided to share both of the appetizers and Jenna ate her clam chowder so quickly no one had a chance to ask for a taste. After dinner and dessert everyone headed home . 

Half an hour after arriving home Mara padded downstairs. She was surprised to see Sam and Jenna already ensconced on the couch. This fact wouldn't bother her so much if Jenna wasn't sitting in the middle of Mara's desired spot. She was sitting down on her knees right beside Sam who was busy studying the pictures Jenna assembled for the assignment he gave her. 

"Comfy Jenna?" Mara inquired in her move it or lose it tone. 

"Yes Aunty Mara, my adaptation level is quite satisfactory." Jenna replied matter of factly. 

"What the hell have you been reading young lady? You are messing up my adaptive level so move it!" 

With a grand sigh Jenna left her position and settled at the other end of the couch. Mara wanted to stretch out and rest her head on Sam's lap but the photo album was making that impossible. She settled for curling up nest to him, resting her head on his shoulder. 

"Did you see the work Jenna did? These photographs are phenomenal. I think your choice for Great Expectations is inspired Jenna." 

"Thanks Unca Sam, I'm glad you like them." 

"Yeah, I saw all her work on Sunday. She's far too talented for someone her age." Mara replied smiling proudly at Jenna. 

"Can I have some ice cream?" 

"Sure Jenna." 

Jenna came back with a tub of ice cream and a spoon. Sam started laughing until he realized it was his ice cream she had. 

"Jenna, there are like five pints of ice cream in the freezer, you had to pick the only one that is mine? Go get a small bowl." 

"Sorry but bubble gum ice cream is really yummy and there really isn't that much left look." 

Sam looked into the container and agreed there wasn't too much left. He took the spoon off Jenna, had a few tastes and then let her finish the rest. Jenna washed her spoon and put the ice cream on the list for Anna. Sam knew it wouldn't be long before Mara heated up her crab dip and he wasn't disappointed. She actually surprised him when she popped a dip laden chip into his mouth and didn't so much as bat an eye when he went for seconds. After tucking Jenna into bed 

Sam found Mara in bed eating soda crackers. He gently sat down beside her on the bed, grabbed a cracker and smiled hopefully. 

"Is there something you'd like to tell me?" He asked gently placing his hand on her taut stomach. 

It took a second for what Sam was really asking her to set in. The look on his face was so adorable that she hated having to answer. "No Sweetie, my period was over Sunday and we haven't seen each other since. I'm game for trying if you are. I missed you." 

"Me too but are you sure. Your stomach is obviously feeling queasy." 

"I'll be fine, I think my body is just demonstrating it's displeasure that all I've had today was Beavertails, cheese, crackers and crab dip." 

"Don't forget the pear crisp. We won't wake Jenna?" 

"Sam, have you not noticed that she sleeps more soundly than me?" 

"Oh, well then let's either make a baby or have a hell of a lot of fun trying." 

Mara chuckled to herself until Sam planted a sensuous kiss on her and the only thing on her mind was responding to Sam's ministrations. 

***************** 

Jenna decided she rather kick around DC than go to the Manchester farm which worked well since Mara really didn't want to cancel the appointment with the Realtor. Sam demanded an answer from her on Thursday and was relived they were not moving. Jenna spent the day with the White House photographer as Mara had meetings all day and Sam was in and out all day long. Mara had just heard from the contractor at Canada Place who told her that they would be ready to open the day after Labour Day. She had Leslie change Jenna's plane ticket to extend her stay a few days and then left Sue a message informing her of the change. Mara was one her way to the last meeting of the day when Sue returned the phone call. 

"Who the hell do you think you are, changing my daughter's reservations without so much as consulting with me first.?" Sue asked in mock anger. 

"What you think you are her mother or something?" Mara laughed. "Sue I've got to go, I should be home in two hours if you want to continue this." 

"Nah, just tell the rugrat I love her." 

"Will do bye." 

Sam was surprised to see Mara walk past the Roosevelt room a little after six. He was momentarily distracted by her legs until she disappeared from sight. He had to wrap this meeting up. 

"Hey Donna, I hear you are interested in taking Canadian Politics in Perspective." 

"Oh Good, Sam finally asked you about it. What do you think?" 

"Well the Prof. is highly entertaining and brilliant. She's a lot of fun but does actually demand a lot from her students. Generally though I'd say you'll enjoy the course so much you won't really notice how hard you are working. Oh and she doesn't give a rats ass about grade curves. She gives A and A+ marks if they are deserved. So you going to take my class or what? " 

"Oh my God, you are teaching it?" 

"Yup, just finished meeting with the Chancellor of Georgetown and the head of the history department." 

"But it's a politics course." 

"It's going to be cross listed. Thirty student maximum and I have the discretion to let five more in. So if you can't get in on your access date don't worry." 

"You know Charlie was thinking of taking the course with me. You might want to save him a space too and I bet Zoey wants in on this." 

"Now that is so typical of Charlie, wanting to provide you with moral support and a built in study buddy. You want to tell me why Zoe is being so damn stupid?" 

"She's young, aren't youth and stupidity suppose to be synonymous? I'm sure even you did something really stupid in College." 

"Like getting drunk and having sex against a brick wall of a bar and on the hood of some car?" 

"Yeah, that sure is stupid and uncomfortable." 

"It only lasted one night at least. " 

"No need to remind me of Dr. Freeride, but if it wasn't for him, I never would have driven all the way to Manchester and hired myself as Josh's assistant." 

"True, have you seen my husband or Jenna anywhere?" 

"Sam is in a meeting and Jenna was in the rose garden last time I saw her. She was driving us all nuts taking pictures. She took a really flattering picture of me fighting with the photocopier." 

"I'll have a little talk with her. She's driving me mad too. I'm going to wait in Sam's office." 

"Kay, see you later." 

Fifteen minutes later Sam walked in with Jenna at his side. Mara hurried them out the door and declared she was going to take a hot bath as soon as they got home. Sam and Jenna went out to pick up a pizza and something sinful for dessert. Mara sank into the tub wondering why after a day that went smoothly was she so tired. 


	8. Tears

Toby stared at the red and white envelope that reminded him of the Canadian flag. He was sure it was from Mara but he wondered why she'd be planning a party in September. He opened it and started reading. A hearty chuckle escaped his lips, causing Bonnie to freeze at the door. 

"Toby are you feeling okay?" She asked with a grin. 

"Did you get one of these? Mara had to be the one to write the ad copy." 

"Actually that was me." Sam announced as he took a seat on Toby's couch. 

"Really? Pretty entertaining work Robin." 

"Mara was brain storming ideas and it reminded me of one of the snarky comments she made at me the very first time we met. " 

Toby rolled his eyes and handed the copy to Bonnie who also started laughing. 

"How much do you want to bet Mara made sure the Washington State contingent was the first to get this package." 

"I'm sure they were. You know Mara could have sent me more than one free extra large coffee coupon." 

"Toby you drink it for free here, how often are you roaming and in need of coffee?" Bonnie asked. 

"Need I remind you how close Mara is to the Capitol? Lord knows a little shot of Java before talking to those fools is a good thing." 

"It's called greed Tobias, pure and simple. I'm the one in need of more than one, given the money I make." 

"Here Bonnie, don't say I never gave you anything." Toby replied handing over his coupon. 

"Thanks Toby, Sam watch him carefully, I'm convinced he is sick now." 

Sam chuckled and attempted to feel Toby's head until Toby swatted his arm away. "Do that again and I'll break it Sam. Do you have the revisions I wanted?" 

"Yeah I just have to print them off." 

"Well go do it!" 

"He's yelling and annoyed Bonnie, he's fine." Sam replied on the way into his office. 

Sam sent his pages to Bonnie's printer and got back to his P.E.I. File. At three on the dot there was a knock on his door jam. Sam hit file save and shut down his computer. He grabbed his sunglasses from inside his desk, yanked off his tie and slung his suit jacket over his arm. 

"Unca Sam?" 

"Yes, Sweetie?" Sam asked as he donned his shades. 

"Can we pretend this is a real date so I know what one is like." 

"Jenna you're seven, you've got at least nine years before you have to worry about it." 

"Please?" 

"Jenna that's a very pretty blue T shirt you are wearing." 

"Thank you. So where are we going?" 

"I thought we could walk over to the Museum of American History, have some ice cream and have a look around. The exhibit on President's, Donna worked on is still running. I haven't seen it yet." 

"Sounds like fun. Let's go." 

Sam was glad he went for a hot fudge sundae because he needed the energy to keep up with Jenna. Sam discovered she read almost as fast as Mara which meant she was always an exhibit or two ahead of him. He finally started scan reading just to keep his eye on her. They both agreed Donna did an amazing job coordinating the exhibit as a large chunk of the display was comparing the past with the present. Sam had to laugh when Jenna suggested a milkshake before they left. 

"Come on Sam, my treat. How about a cherry cola float?" 

"You can have what you want, I'll take a plain cherry cola." 

One look at the line at Swensons and Jenna changed her mind. "How about we stop off at Ben and Jerry's instead." 

"Jenna, it's 6:30, Mara is probably just finishing making dinner. How about we go for ice cream after dinner." 

"Oh all right. Do you have to call for the car to come get us?" 

"No, Paul should be waiting for us outside." 

Sam was surprised to find the house quite and nothing made for dinner. He had just come to the conclusion that Mara was still at work when he tripped over one of her heels near the staircase. 

"Jenna, there should be a zip lock bag of hamburger patties in the freezer, can you defrost them please." 

"Sure." 

Sam found Mara curled up in the fetal position in their bed. He brushed her hair away from her eyes and kissed her gently. 

"Baby what's wrong?" 

"I have horrible cramps." 

"How, you said you were done on Sunday." 

"I was, I've been slowly bleeding to death since this afternoon, never the less." 

"Do you want me to call Abbey?" 

"No, I got a hold of Ellie and she got me in for a gyno appointment tomorrow. I have to be at John Hopkins by noon. I figured Jenna and I could go to the inner harbor tomorrow and Ellie will keep her company when I'm in seeing the doctor." 

"What happened?" 

"I was sitting at my desk and I got a cramping feeling and maybe ten minutes later I really felt like I had to go to the bathroom. I did and well you don't want to know the rest." 

"Sure I do, I'm concerned about your health." 

"Sam, you're going to make that face and tell me you didn't need to hear that." 

"Come on just tell me. " 

"Fine, I've never seen such a big blood clot in my life." 

Sam barely managed to keep a straight face but he couldn't control the words that came tumbling out of his mouth. "Yuck, too much info Mara." 

"Well you asked." Mara sighed exasperated. 

"Are you sure you shouldn't go to GW?" 

"Ellie told me that as long as ...you don't want to know....I'm fine. She suggested laying down so I came straight home, changed and crawled into bed." 

"I don't think you could have squicked me out anymore but..." 

"Squicked? Sam, I know that isn't a real word." 

"It's my word, I think it's good, it combining squimish and ick. Anyway I was going to grill some burgers for dinner, you want one, or something else?" 

"You can not set the house on fire." 

"I'm wounded." 

"You asked what I wanted and I want a house and husband free of burn marks." 

"You are such a brat." 

"Yeah, well you married me." 

"Don't remind me." Sam retorted. 

"Some licorice tea would be nice and bring me the box of soda crackers." Mara replied ignoring him. 

"Yes Ma'am." Sam mock saluted her and left before she could fling a pillow or something harder at him. 

Sam returned to the kitchen and found Jenna slicing some onion. She had already cut some tomato slices, mushrooms, cheese and pulled out the ketchup, Miracle Whip, mustard and potato chips. 

"The chips for inside your burger?" 

"Uhuh." 

"Now did Mara teach that to you or are you responsible for giving her that habit?" 

"Actually I think Dani started it when she was my age and it caught on in the family. Mommy has always done it and now Daddy does too." 

"Jenna are you allowed to use knives?" 

"Yes, if I use a big fork to hold whatever I'm cutting. Mom says if my hand slips I won't cut myself." 

"Okay, you want to bring a box of soda crackers up to Mara for me?" 

"If I get beaned with something when I walk in, I'm suing you." Jenna teased. 

"Ah she's all talk and no action, when she's feeling sick. I'll make her a cup of tea." 

"You know Killer can't carry a cup." 

"I'll bring it up to her smarty pants." 

"Fine." Jenna grabbed the crackers and took the stairs two at a time. 

"Sam says you are feeling sick and that you're all talk and no action because of it." 

"Sam forgets I have an excellent memory. I'll get him back, that you can be sure of. Thanks for the crackers." 

"I'm sorry your tummy feels yucky. Sam is making you tea but Mom always gives me ginger ale when my stomach is sick. You want some?" 

"Sure, why not. Tomorrow we are going to Baltimore's Inner Harbor and I've got a doctor's appointment at noon. Ellie is going to have lunch with you while I'm in with the doctor." 

"Kay, can we go to the aquarium?" 

"Sounds like a plan to me. So what did you and Sam do this afternoon?" 

"We went to the Smithsonian Museum of American History to see Donna's exhibit and have some ice cream. Sam bought me a really cute key chain of the city." 

"One of those pop up story ones?" 

"Yeah, how did you know? I think the Canadian Embassy is even there." 

"Toby gave me one for Christmas, yeah the location looks right for the Embassy but it's a generic building and the White House looks really funny." 

"I'll go get your drink." 

"Thank you Sweetie." 

********************* 

Mara and Jenna arrived home from Baltimore a little after six and found a message from Sam on the answering machine. Mara picked up the phone and dialed Sam's cell phone. 

"Hello?" 

"Hey we're home, what the hell are you still doing there?" 

"Finishing something up so there is no way I'll have to step foot in here all weekend." 

"How long are you going to be?" 

"About an hour, hour and a half tops. Ginger just went to get us some sandwiches, so whatever you make I'll still have room for." 

"Sorry but Jenna and I are going to the Hotel Washington for dinner. She's never seen the view from the Sky Terrace. We'll look down on you while we dine." 

"You are so evil Mara." 

"Thanks." 

"So what did the doctor say?" 

"Sam I don't want to have this conversation over the phone." 

"Do you want me to come home this second?" Sam asked suddenly worried. 

"No, but give my cell a ring when you're done. Maybe you can have dessert with us." 

"Kay. I better go if I ever want to get out of here." 

"See you later." 

After Sam tucked Jenna into bed he went back downstairs to find Mara. She'd been far too quite over dessert and he knew something was bothering her. She had left the couch and wasn't in the kitchen. He opened the sliding door and peered out into the backyard. He wondered where on earth she had gone and started to close the door. He stopped when he heard a sniffle. He found Mara sitting in the dark on a lounge chair. He knelt down and was surprised how wet her face was from tears. 

"Baby what's wrong?" He inquired softly. 

Mara opened her mouth to say something but started crying again. A sick feeling came over Sam. 

"Mara, you are starting to freak me out, does this have anything to do with your trip to John Hopkins?" Sam asked hoping he was wrong. 

"Yeah" 

"Oh God, is it a tumor?" 

"No, I'm not dying Sam, you can start breathing again." 

"Oh thank God, I don't know what I'd ever do without you." Sam replied gently kissing her. 

"Sam, would you still feel that way in ten years if it was just the two of us?" 

"Of course, Mara what's going on?" 

"I didn't get my period, it was the start of a miscarriage that probably happened on Saturday." 

"You were pregnant?" 

"The doctor said judging from my last period I was about six weeks along. The world's largest blood clot was the placenta being expelled, which apparently was a good thing or they would have had to do surgery to get it out. I didn't even know, I had so much to drink Friday night I..." 

"Mara, you didn't know, you didn't drink our baby to death, it wasn't your fault." Sam said sternly. 

"I certainly didn't help the situation." 

"Mara, in no way, shape or form is this your fault. Do you understand me?" 

"But Sam, what if we never..." 

"Mara, I recall you promising me no more what ifs. If we are meant to have children we will have healthy, brilliant children who will be annoying just like their mother." 

Mara smiled briefly before half heartedly swatting Sam in the arm. 

"Mrs. Seaborn, I love you with all my heart and if it's just the two of us for the rest of our lives I'll still be the happiest man in the world." 

Mara smiled sadly and Sam pulled her into his arms whispering I mean it into her ear. After about ten minutes, Sam picked her up and carried her to bed. He made her a strawberry milkshake spiked with three ounces of ameretto. The warmth of the alcohol put her to sleep within the hour. 

Sam let Mara sleep away most of Saturday taking Jenna to the movies and then into the Library of Congress. Donna had suggested the library when he called to ask her where he could take Jenna. Donna made the call to get them full access and get Sam lending privileges. They both picked two books each and after stopping for ice cream went back home and read until Mara wandered down a little past five. She sat down at the piano and tickled the ivories for a few minutes until the phone rang. Sam tried to grab it but Mara beat him to it. 

"Hello?" 

"Hey Mar, Josh and I have a deal for you. Oh shut up Josh. We'll bring pizza, bread sticks and something for dessert in exchange for watching your wedding video on that delightful plasma screen." 

Ten minutes earlier Mara had wished she was alone in the house but the idea of escaping for an hour or so was too tempting. 

"Sure, you know Sam and I haven't even watched it yet. I'm sure Jenna would like to see it. I take it the pizza was Josh's idea and the video yours." 

"Yeah, do I need to get Jenna a specific pizza?" 

"No the freak even likes anchovies, she'll eat any type of pizza." 

"Kay see you in about forty minutes." 

"Who's bringing me pizza?" Jenna asked as she continued to read. 

"Donna and Josh. Donna wants to see the wedding video and Josh just wants to be in the same room as Donna." 

"Oh cool, I want to see the video too." 

Donna couldn't quite put her finger on it but she knew something wasn't right with Mara. She seemed to be working at being her normal self. Donna figured there was no point asking Josh because he wasn't that observant. Sam kept Mara in his arms the entire time and Donna knew it was more than the usual super affectionate display between the two of them. After the video was over Donna looked up and realized she had Sam all to herself. 

"Sam, what's wrong? Mara isn't quite herself and you are being very protective of her." 

"Donna, I really don't..." 

"Sam, she's an amazing actress but she's not that good. I don't think Ceeg or Dr. Bartlet would buy her act either." 

"Donna, I love you for caring but it's not my place to say anything. I'll let her know you noticed and that you are there for her when she's ready." 

"Oh God Sam, she's not sick is she?" 

"No." 

"OK I won't push but if you need to talk I'm here for you too." 

"Thanks Donna." Sam gave Donna a hug just as Josh came out of the bathroom. 

"Would you stop trying to steal my woman!" Josh teased. 

"What makes you think I wasn't coming on to Sam?" Donna asked with a smirk. 

"Donna, you promised I was the only Seaborn you'd had sex with!" Mara exclaimed with a sexy pout. 

Donna and Mara looked at the stunned yet definitely turned on look on the guys faces and rolled their eyes. Sam managed to reset his jaw before Josh. 

"I swear Mar, I don't get it, what the hell is up with men. My ultimate fantasy sure as hell doesn't involve two men. Well actually if George Clooney was cloned I wouldn't say no but...." 

"It's because they all have little or no imagination. They are also self delusional enough to think that two women would actually want them." 

"Hey!" Josh finally managed to say. 

"Sam, go tuck in Jenna. Josh get over yourself and Donna do you want to split the last piece of raspberry chocolate mouse cake with me?" 

"Sure. So what made you come up with that response?" 

"Sam, was looking too damn smug and Josh was just being a big old idiot." 

"Josh is a big old idiot." 

"You aren't going to get an argument from me. Do you want ice cream ?" 

"Nah, but a big glass of milk would be good." 

"You read my mind. Sam's going to be looking for this slice at bedtime." 

"You know one look at Sam and you'd never guess he had such a sweet tooth. No wonder he is nuts about dental hygiene, he has to be, to combat the effects of his sugar habit. No wonder you two get along, you both skip meals and order dessert instead." 

"I have a bigger appetite than he does. " 

"I'd never win an eating contest with you and Josh. The two of you are freaks." 

Mara laughed, "You should see Jenna and Dani. Let me tell you CJ has quite the healthy appetite too. You ate five slices of pizza tonight yourself, you're no slouch in the eating department." 

"What can I say, I love pizza. You know Mara, if you ever want to talk, I'm always willing to listen. One call and I'm on my way over." 

"Thanks Donna, I know, now kindly pass me a fork." 

After Josh and Donna left, Sam sent Mara upstairs to bed and quickly cleaned up. He found her sitting in bed playing with Tedzy's ears. 

"Does Tedzy need a Q-tip?" Sam inquired with a soft smile. 

"No, did you say anything to Donna?" 

"No, but she knows something is wrong and she's worried. She wants you to know that..." 

"She'll be happy to listen to me, yeah I know." 

"It might not be a bad idea to talk to someone Mara. Have you told Abbey?" 

"No, but Ellie suggested I tell her." 

"I think it would be helpful, you can get both a doctors input and your mothers." 

"I'll think about it. I'm tired, I luv ya good night." 

Sam was surprised to see Ron at the door Sunday morning to go see the house in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. When Mara started talking about bullet proof glass, Sam figured this was all to make sure Jed and Abbey could visit. The house in Sam's opinion was beautiful but far too extravagant for not even a weekend home. The Colonial style house sat right on Chesapeake Bay with water access, but a dock needed to be built. There were 4 bedrooms, 3 full and one half bathroom, a large kitchen, laundry room, two rooms dubbed great halls, two fireplaces, a three car attached garage and a study. The dining room was in the kitchen which annoyed Mara who envisioned turning one of the great halls into the dining room. Jenna adored the family room and Mara loved a sitting room off the main bedroom. Sam and Ron liked the feeling of being outside with big bay windows everywhere to capture the view of the Bay, a side porch, terrace and balcony. Mara mentioned installing a pool. The major bone of contention between Sam and Mara was the vines covering the right side of the house. Sam thought they gave the house character, Mara wanted them gone. 

The house was listed at 3.4 million, Mara said she'd write a check on the spot for 3.2 and considering the house has been on the market for 9 months the owners jumped at it. The house would be theirs by the end of September. Mara seemed in slightly better sprits but Sam noticed that she was trying too hard. He felt useless because he knew everything he had said barely made a dent in Mara blaming herself. Sam was sure he was looking at the onset of a depression but didn't know how to stop it in it's tracks or shorten it. 

The house was the center of everyone's chatter Monday morning thanks to the President bringing it up in senior staff. CJ and Josh were vying for borrowing privileges and Toby pretended he could care less but asked an awful lot of questions about the property, view and house. Sam spent the rest of Monday and most of Tuesday at the Sate Department ironing out the details for a foreign policy conference in Strasbourg the President was attending at the end of October. 

Sam hustled back to his office Wednesday afternoon knowing Jenna had been waiting for half an hour for him. He found her sitting in his chair with her feet resting on his desk reading what looked like one of his speeches. 

"Hey munchkin, feet of the desk and sorry I kept you waiting.." 

"No problem, give me two more minutes. Toby gave me a speech to edit." 

"Really, what speech?" 

"For the Labour Day radio address." 

"So what do you think?" 

"It needed a few extra commas and you don't really need the fifth paragraph but otherwise everything is really good." 

"Can we get out of here then?" 

"Sure, what's wrong with Aunty Mara, she seems blue." 

"What do you mean?" Sam asked pretending he had no idea. 

"Well she just seems off, her mind is wandering a lot and when it does she looks really sad. We passed a kid's store, I pointed out a really cute dolls pram and she looked like she was going to start crying." 

"I don't know Jenna, maybe her hormones are out of whack." 

"Oh, because she's going to get the curse soon." 

Sam looked down at Jenna in wonder. He felt like he was having a conversation with a 17 year old not a 7 year old. He smiled and gently tugged on her ponytail. 

"That would be my guess Jenna. We just need to be patient with her." 

Sam and Jenna returned home a little after six and found a note from Mara that she had a headache and went to bed. Jenna offered to make KD but Sam told her they'd go to McDonald's instead. Jenna talked Sam into watching the Sound of Music when they returned and turned the volume down when she noticed Sam had fallen asleep. She paused the wedding to help herself to some ice cream and washed the bowl when she was done. She made sure all the doors were locked, put the quilt over Sam and brought down her little travel alarm clock and set it for 6 am. She put the clock on the top of the couch and headed upstairs. She sat in Sam's chair in the study and read for a little bit before finally going to bed at midnight. 

Thursday afternoon CJ made her way to Sam's office. She had called an early full lid, hoping to take advantage of a quite day and the beautiful weather. The oppressive heat had finally given way to a perfect 75 degrees. Before she left however, she had to get to the bottom of what ever was making Sam so glum. 

"Hey Spanky, can I buy you an ice cream?" 

"I thought you were trying to get out of here?" 

"I am, I'm going to walk home but last time I checked I can walk and eat ice cream at the same time. My treat." 

"Kay." 

Sam loosened his tie, grabbed his wallet out of his suit jacket and put on his sunglasses. He told Ginger he'd be back within the hour and walked out with CJ. She suggested they cross Layfette Park and ginned when she saw a soft serve ice cream truck. 

"Chocolate or vanilla Sam?" 

"A large twist please." 

"Best of both worlds, think I'll have one of those too. A large twist on a cone and one in a cup please." 

They walked for a little bit in silence until CJ sat down along the edge of a fountain. She patted the spot beside her and Sam reluctantly sat down. 

"Relax Sam, I'm not going to push you in." She chuckled. 

"Decided you couldn't walk and eat ice cream at the same time?" Sam quipped. 

"Spanky, what's going on with you? You've been glum since Monday. You now own a killer house on the bay and have a home for a sailboat and you seemed like you couldn't care less. I want to help Sam, but I can't until you let me in." 

"I'm fine Ceeg, it's nothing." 

"Then I hope you are comfortable because we aren't moving until you talk. You know Sam when I said I was your first call, it wasn't only when you screw up. You saved my life once mi amour, would you please let me help you for a change?" When Sam didn't answer CJ continued, "You write speeches for a living, I think you can string a few words together and answer me." 

"Mara's going through something and she doesn't want to let me help her." 

"Can you be more specific? I promise I'll never reveal anything you confide to me." 

"Mara had a miscarriage last Saturday." 

CJ smiled sadly and put her arms around him. "I'm so sorry Sweetie." She whispered. 

"Thanks, she didn't even know she was pregnant. The doctor said she was probably about six weeks along. " 

"Saturday... she was drinking like a fish Friday night, don't tell me she's blaming herself." 

"Yeah, she knows in her head it wasn't her fault but in her heart I'm sure she feels guilty." 

"Is she seeing anyone about this?" 

"No, I told her she should tell Abbey and Donna knew something was wrong the other day and offered to listen but she's just closed herself off. Jenna has noticed something is wrong. I told her I thought it was PMS." 

"So you are frustrated and feeling useless because you can't help. How do you feel about loosing a baby?" 

"This is going to sound so stupid and insensitive." 

"Spanky, you can't help how you feel and your ice cream is about to land on your lap." 

Sam took a little longer than necessary to clean his ice cream cone up and actually finished it while thinking about what he wanted to say. 

"I'm sad, last Tuesday Mara was snacking on soda crackers and I asked her if there was something she needed to tell me. She reminded me that it was impossible, or so we thought, because her period was over Sunday and she hadn't seen me since. I was disappointed. When I found out I was sad but in a strange way I felt grateful that we didn't know. It sucks and I wish it didn't happen but it would have been worse if we had started making plans and celebrating. Does that make any sense?" 

"Yes it does, truthfully when you said you didn't know, I thought at least it will be easier for Mara to deal with it emotionally. I have a question, if Mara thought it was just her period how did she ever find out it was a miscarriage?" 

"Wednesday afternoon she got a bad cramp feeling and when she went to the bathroom she discovered what she called the world's biggest blood clot. It freaked her out, so she called Ellie and got an appointment with a gyno at John Hopkins. The blood clot was the placenta being expelled. " 

"Poor Mara, she'll bounce back Sam, you just need to be patient with her. I don't think it would hurt to force her to talk to someone though. If I were you, I'd have Abbey pay her a visit and introduce herself as Dr. Bartlet." 

"I'll give it a day or two and then I may just give it a try." 

Meanwhile, Josh decided to stop off at his favourite diner for a piece of lemon meringue pie and to bring Donna back a brownie. He noticed Mara and Jenna sitting in his normal booth and smiled. His jaw nearly dropped when he realized Mara had an entire lemon meringue pie in front of her while Jenna was blowing bubbles into her float. 

"Hey guys." 

"Hey Josh, sit down and join us." Jenna replied. 

Josh sat down, picked up a fork and cut into the pie. He was brining it to his lips when he noticed the look on Mara's face. He grinned and popped it into his mouth. 

"Come on Bu, you have an entire pie and you begrudge me a bite?" 

"Get your own damn pie Josh, this one is mine." Mara growled. 

"Whoa Mara, what the hell crawled up your ass and died?" 

Mara's face was suddenly drained of all its colour and before Josh could say a word she dashed out of the diner. Josh looked at Jenna who seemed as shocked as him. 

"Jenna don't move, one of us will be back for you." Josh said quickly and shot out the door. He ran full out for three blocks trying to catch up to her until she finally stopped. 

"Mara, what the hell?" 

"I killed Sam's baby Josh. Is that what you wanted to know!" Mara screamed before dissolving into tears. Josh caught her in his arms just before she sank to the ground. 

He had no idea what to do so he continued to hold her, gently stroking her hair hoping the tears would stop soon. After what seemed like an eternity, her shoulders stopped shaking and she started choking the tears back. 

"That's four shirts you owe me now Bu. I'm going to need to collect before I let you ruin another shirt." Josh teased hoping he could make her smile.

"Oh Josh..." Mara sighed softly before tears started streaming down her face again. 

"How is it possible you have any tears left?" Josh asked and gently wiped them away from her eyes. "Come on now, I don't want Dr. Bartlet yelling at me for letting you get all dehydrated. I'm sorry for your lose Mara, I didn't even know you guys were preggers." 

"I didn't know either, I was 6 weeks along." 

"I know you think I'm one fry short but how can a miscarriage be your fault when you didn't even know you were pregnant?" 

"I was drinking like a fish Friday night, I miscarried Saturday......" 

"Mara, it wasn't your fault. I've been there and played the blame game for years. Let me save you years of therapy, it wasn't your fault and the sooner you realize that the better. You didn't kill Sam's baby, for whatever reason, under circumstances beyond your control, you lost your baby. 

It wasn't meant to be Mara, but that doesn't mean it will never be again. I'm sure the thought of blaming you never even entered Sam's mind. In fact, if Sam knew you were blaming yourself he'd 

be beside himself and......oh." 

"Oh what Josh?" 

"He'd be sullen, quite and not himself because he couldn't help you. He'd be acting like he has been since Monday. Mara, this is going to be harder for you but you have to find a way to get over this for both of your sakes. This is going to sound harsh and totally insensitive but you should be grateful that you had no idea. Think about how you'd feel if you'd been three months along and picked out a name? You have a right to grieve, to be sad, but you have to stop blaming yourself right now. I'm sure Donna would enjoy having Jenna spend the night so you and Sam can be alone. No I suggest we go get Jenna before she starts wondering if we abandoned her." 

"Thanks Josh, sorry I ..." 

"Had a nutty? Don't worry about it, sooner or later we all have a nutty. That's why friends were invented." 

Mara smiled, leaned over and left a soft kiss on his cheek and then adjusted his tie. "Josh I hope you don't have anymore meetings today, you like a mess." 

Josh rolled his eyes, "Four shirts Mara, four, 16 ½ neck and Armani." 

Mara simply smiled at Josh and looped her arm through his. When they returned to the diner, they found Jenna sitting there was a pie box and a paid check. 

"Sorry Jenna, I didn't feel too good and needed to get some air." 

"Are you OK now?" 

"No, but I will be soon. Donna was wondering if you'd like to have a sleep over at her place tonight." 

"Really? That would be cool, can I go?" 

"Sure, we are going to go home and pack your backpack and then Chris will drop you off when he picks Sam up. Josh can Donna come in a little late tomorrow?" 

"I think I can manage to survive until ten." 

"That will be perfect, you can have breakfast with Donna and hang around the west wing until Sam is ready to leave around one." 

Mara handed Jenna a twenty for paying the bill and put the pie in Josh's hand. 

"It's not a shirt but it will do." Josh said with a smile and opened the door for the girls. 

When Josh put his pie box down to be scanned it beeped. The guards looked at Josh who shrugged his shoulders. Peter noticed the fork right away and showed it to Josh. 

"Oops looks like I'm going to be charged for grand fork theft. I forgot I left it there." 

"You fully intend to return next time, Right Mr. Lyman?" Peter asked. 

"Oh yeah sure." Josh muttered. 

Donna noticed the box in Josh's hand and grinned. "What ever that is Josh, half of it is mine." 

"Yeah, I even brought you a fork. Oh by the way you invited Jenna over for a sleep over tonight." 

"Huh what? Josh what in the world did you spill on yourself?" 

"Umm... Do you want to truth or a very good story?" 

Donna gave Josh her I'm not amused look, which Josh was counting on. "I wasn't paying attention and turned the facet on full blast while my had was blocking half of it. So I got myself with a full blast spray." 

"Josh you are such a dork and a menace to society. Now back to the sleep over." 

"I meet Mara and Jenna in the diner. Mara looked liked Jenna had completely worn her out. I figured you wouldn't mind giving Mara and Sam a chance to just relax together. Jenna likes me for a few hours, I think I'd bore her to death if I kept her all night." 

"You can pick up two extra large pizzas, a pint of Cherry Garcia and a pint of chocolate fudge brownie. You better get two bottles of Dr. Pepper too. You volunteer me, I volunteer you." 

"Oh all right. You don't have to come in until ten tomorrow and bring Jenna in with you." 

"Cool, put your jacket back on Josh and button it." Donna remarked before going back to her desk. 

Twenty minutes later Donna answered her phone and found Mara on the other end. 

"Thanks for taking Jenna tonight Donna. I need another favour from you. Josh takes a 16 ½ neck but what about the length. I'm sure you know." 

"Made one too many cracks about Josh spraying water all over himself did ya?" Donna laughed. 

(Oh wow, Josh blamed himself.) "Yeah." 

"35" 

"So 161/2 and 35, Sam's 16 and 37." 

"Really, I'll write that down for future reference. Do you mind if I let Jenna into my make up again?" 

"No, just make sure she knows it's only for fun and she can't leave the house with it on." 

"Kay, hey are you guys still doing the Labour Day barbecue?" 

"Yup, Jenna's calling me, I got to go. Thanks again Donna." 

When Josh returned home a little after eleven he found a note from his neigbour that she was keeping a package for him and that if he was in before 11:30 he could pick it up. He had no clue what was in the large box that was wrapped in blue paper. He thanked his neighbour, quickly opened his door and tore into the paper. He laughed when he opened the first layer of tissue and found a white Armani shirt in his exact size. His jaw nearly hit the floor when he realized there was a dozen Armani shirts in total. A gift card was sitting on top of the last two shirts and read 

Now you owe me eight shoulders to cry on. I'll deny this in the morning but I luv ya, Bu. 

This is going in a frame, Josh thought as he changed for bed. 


	9. Flashes in Time

With patience and prodding from Sam, Mara finally decided to talk to Abbey. She was back to her old self after a few weeks. The opening of Canada Place was a spectacular success and a month later it seemed as though everyone in Washington had joined the Tim Horton's Rebellion. After an article appeared in the Washington Post about the success of the invasion from the North, Sam sent Mara a congratulatory e-mail teasing her that he should send a letter to the editor revealing she hated coffee. 

To:SSeaborn@whitehouse.gov  
From:MWhitford@cdngovt.ca  
Subject:Do you enjoy your life Spanky?  
Can you tell I'm not laughing? My first strike has been an overwhelming success. All of Washington is at my drinking beck and call. I am the great puppet master and they are all just simpleton puppets. They have tasted my liquid crack and now that they are hopelessly addicted, phase two can begin. No one, not even my husband will stand in my way. My plans for world domination will not be deterred. If you know what is good for you, remove all thoughts of notifying editors out of your pretty little head. Avez vous compris? 

Love 

Shewhoshallnotbenamed. 

Sam was laughing so hard, Ginger, Bonnie and Toby walked into his office believing he'd finally lost his mind. Sam merely turned his laptop around to share the e-mail and continued chuckling. Toby rolled his eyes several times but laughed never the less. Ginger was trying to convince Sam to send her a copy. 

"Must have coffee, must have coffee now." Bonnie muttered and headed straight for the coffee station to fill up her mug. 

When Toby stopped laughing at Bonnie he called out to her and asked for a mug too and went back to work. Sam read the e-mail once more and hit respond. 

To:MWhitford@cdngovt.ca  
From:SSeaborn@whitehouse.govMWhitford@cdngovt.ca  
Subject Re: Do you enjoy your life Spanky? 

Madame Ambassador, I do believe you have drank the coffee yourself and gone mad. Don't worry your secret is safe with me, oh evil one. 

Love 

Hewhomusthavebeeninsanetomarryyou. 

Mara grinned at Sam's e-mail and decided it was time for one of her twice daily Beaver Tails. The eight pounds she had lost, causing most of her skirts to sit on her hips rather than her waist were back and Sam had stopped calling her Skeletor. Abbey had even lectured her about proper eating habits. There was no way she was going to tell Abbey how she gained the weight back. 

Since Canada Place opened Mara was getting more visitors. Toby had even stopped by to see her office for the first time. He showed up with a bag from Lick's and proceeded to make her hungry by eating his homeburger in front of her. Mara told him that he was welcome anytime but only if he brought food for her too. She ran into Charlie one day leaving Laura Secord's and she didn't even bother asking if there were French Mint bars for Jed in the bag. Ginger and Bonnie would pop in at least once a week and Donna stopped by for a late lunch every Tuesday. Leslie teased Mara that they needed to hire a social secretary to accommodate her new found popularity. Sam met Carol waiting for the elevator one afternoon. He teased Mara about being too popular to make time for him anymore, reminding her that he use to be her only drop in visitor. Mara laughed and told him not to worry since he was still the only one getting the occasional couch sex out of the visits. 

After Sam sent his e-mail he was called down to the situation room for his third surprise exam. He was given several pieces of information that he had to analyze, then make recommendations based on his analysis. In the previous exams all the analysis was given to him. He felt like he was back in law school and was grateful that he was a phenomenal test taker His friends at Duke use to tease him about his analytical mind but it had served him well for years. Half an hour into the test, Nancy told Sam, what help he could ask for, most of it was clarification of terms and acronyms. There was something bugging Sam about the information in front of him but he couldn't decide what it was exactly. It wasn't until he was reviewing his final notes before his recommendation that it dawned on him. He told Nancy that it was impossible to make a recommendation without information on the movement of troops in the last four hours. He pointed out that the information he was given was 20 hours old. 

"Congratulations Sam, you just got your first perfect score. The new information would have shown that it was merely a military exercise that lasted six hours." 

"Thanks, but isn't it your job to give me the analysis?" 

"It is but I thought it was important for you to understand everything that is drawn together and presented to you. When you have this information Sam, you can ask us for pieces you think are missing, or get clarifications. Someone could have had both pictures and looked at the wrong one. When you are told about troop movement you can visualize them, you know what a risk assessment report looks like, you can ask for specific numbers. A strong background can be invaluable in situations like these Sam." 

"Could I take this home with me Nancy and study it a bit more? I'd also like a blank copy of a risk assessment report." 

"Sure Sam, none of this is sensitive material or we wouldn't be able to use it. In fact it's about seven years old. We use it as training material." 

"Thanks Nancy. I assume there will be another one of these soon." 

"Of course Sam. Have a good day." 

"You too." 

When Sam returned home he heard music coming from the backyard and found Mara relaxing on a lounge chair. 

"Hi, I smell beef." 

"Yeah I picked up a six pack of homeburgers with all the toppings and two large fries from McD's. The burgers will be done in two minutes. So how did your day go?" 

"Pretty good, I had another test today." 

"Really, how did you do this time?" 

"I finally got my first perfect." 

"That's fantastic Sam!" Mara exclaimed and jumped up to give him a hug and kiss. "Grab the box out of the fridge and the paper plates, we'll eat out here." 

"Would you like a bun with your guk?" Sam asked with amusement as she generously slathered it on both sides of the bun. 

"I love guk sauce, it makes a great fry dip too. So what were you tested on this time?" 

"I had to do an analysis for my information and then make my recommendation based on my analysis." 

"Sounds like lots of fun to me. What was the situation?" 

"I actually brought it home to see what you'd make of it." 

"Go get it, I'll do it while I eat." 

Sam figured it was Mara's ego talking so he got right up and gave her everything he had been given. He had no doubt she'd figure it out but he was sure that scanning while she ate or dipped her fries into guk was a waste of time. He wasn't prepared for her to look up with a big grin on her face five minutes later. 

"Sam. Is this the only satellite pic of troop build up?" 

"Yes." 

"Then it's impossible to make an informed analysis let alone a recommendation. The picture is practically a day old." 

Sam was left speechless, it took him an hour of concentrated effort to reach the same conclusion that Mara made while scanning. 

"You are in awe of me aren't you?" Mara laughed. "Interesting to see the risk assessment report the NSA uses. It's not as complete as the checklist I use." 

"You mean you have an actual checklist, it's not all in that freakish brain of yours?" 

"Well by now it's in my head, but when I started I relied on my checklist until the day I realized I didn't need it anymore." 

"I was always the smartest kid in the room until you came along." 

"Yeah well, girls rule boys drool." 

"From Einstein to 6 year old in 8 seconds flat." 

"You know you waaaant me." 

"Excuse me?" 

"Oh please Samuel, you want to rip this dress off me and ravish me right here right now." 

"When don't I want to do that?" Sam replied with a grin and sauntered inside to get a beer. 

******************* 

Sam and Mara hosted Canadian Thanksgiving at the new house and practically had to evict everyone Sunday evening. CJ went so far as to state she quit and would house sit for free. Sam had convinced Mara not to tear down the climbing ivy until at least the spring. Mara had to attend a funeral of an MP in Ottawa the morning of their anniversary and Sam was a little disappointed they wouldn't get to spend their first anniversary of meeting together. Donna and Ginger were extra sweet to him and Margaret stopped by with homemade brownies. Carol sent him a joke or funny comics every half an hour and CJ offered to take him out to dinner. He looked at his clock and sighed, it was a little after two. Sam had no idea that Mara had chartered a private plane home and had set Josh in motion. 

Josh stepped into Sam's office and waited to be noticed. When Sam didn't look up her cleared his throat. 

"Sorry Josh you caught me lost in a thought. What do you need?" 

"Nothing much I was just wondering are you ready for this state dinner?" 

"State dinner, ha ha ha very...you're not grinning. Josh, I swear there isn't a dinner tonight." 

"Sam, there is a State Dinner tonight, remember Leo asked if you had the President's remarks ready for tonight. It was right after Toby and I were arguing about Social Security. You said yea Leo I've got it covered." 

Josh had to hide his smile, he knew Sam was distracted during the meeting and knew he could use it to his advantage. 

"Josh who in the hell are we throwing it for?" 

"Very funny Sam, I didn't just fall of the turnip truck you know." Josh laughed. 

"Josh I'm serious who the hell is the state dinner for? I completely blanked on it." 

"Prime Minister of Canada." Josh chuckled. "Which is why I'm staying away from the Anti Christ he employs." He added wryly 

Sam's face light up when he realized what he'd been set up for. He craned his neck but he couldn't see Mara yet. 

"Thank God it's just Canada, nothing major." Sam said loudly. 

Sam looked up to see his wife standing at his door. A perfect look of mock indignation and fury on her face. She was wearing the exact same outfit from a year ago. Mara had on black leather pants, a snug deep scarlet velvet square neck top that showed off the beginning swell of her breasts and her hair was pulled up in her signature ponytail. Sam noticed that this time she wore the ruby earrings he got her for Valentine's day. 

"Excuse me? Just Canada? How dare you! Just Canada is your largest trade partner and need I remind you that your trade deficit with us is quite substantial? I understand you know nothing about the White House so let me give you a little lesson. The White House got it's name after it was burnt down by Canadians in the War of 1812 and had to be painted: the colour chosen was white. I can arrange for History to repeat itself and give you a first hand account. I want an apology and I want it now." 

"I... I umm....." 

Mara looked at the sign on his door and pointed to it. "Oh yeah Deputy Communications Director, what a joke you can't even speak. Joshua coffee: milk and three sugars now. Oh don't 

get your assistant to do it either." 

"No chance of that happening Donna won't even get him coffee." Sam quipped he didn't even have to think what he said that fateful day, it just flowed from his lips. 

"Chop, chop Josh." 

"Hello Mara, I was praying you would have been tossed in to a deep polar crevasse by now. " 

"Josh don't you know by now that I'm indestructible." 

"You know you remind me of a pesky little Black fly, always buzzing around making a nuisance of yourself and annoying the hell out of me." 

"Just get me my bloody coffee you elitist, egotistical, chauvinistic, pig with a good memory." 

"Hey you can't talk to him like that." Sam said quickly. 

"You can shut the hell up until you apologize pretty boy." 

"Pretty boy?" Josh chuckled. 

"Why Josh I do believe you are jealous." Mara laughed. 

"Who me? Not on your life you sadistic witch. Sorry Sam, buddy, old pal but you have just inherited her wrath which means she's done with me." 

"Guess again Josh. I want my coffee in two minutes flat go." 

Josh glared at Mara and left Sam's office to fetch her coffee. 

"Well I'm waiting!" Mara said firmly planting her right hand on her hip. 

Sam looked at the woman standing in front of him. His heart full of love. Her green eyes shone with a certain fire. Her full lips were drawn in to the same sexy little pout that sealed his fate a year ago. 

"I'm so not sorry you heard that." He said softly with a grin. 

"I bet you aren't but that's not the apology I wanted." Mara replied. 

"How about you tell me what you want to hear and I'll repeat it. It will save us both a lot of time." 

Mara gazed in to his blue eyes and marveled how one look into his baby blue eyes could still dissipate all her anger. "You're the speech writer I'm sure you can come up with something on your own." 

Sam thought a few moments because he wanted to surprise Mara. "I'm sorry I didn't meet you ten years ago. I love you with all my heart Mara and you should have seen me moping around last night and today because I thought we wouldn't get to recreate this moment. Mara Whitford you were and still are my manifest destiny. Oh in case you didn't know it, I'd never belittle your country because Canada is the coolest country on the earth, it has to be since it's your birthplace. Happy anniversary darling, I love you." 

Josh shoved the cup of coffee in to Mara's hand. "I hope you choke on it." 

Mara smiled at Josh, gave him a kiss on the cheek and gave the coffee back to him. "Thanks One Fry, now make like a bee and buzz, Mr. Seaborn and I are going to have a little debate." 

"Too much info!" Josh exclaimed and quickly left. 

Mara closed his office door and engaged her husband in a series of blistering kisses. 

"Well I've got work to do. I'll see you at the State dinner tonight." 

"What?" 

"Oy vey Sam, just put on your tux and I'll see you in the East room at 8, see ya later." 

"Ginger, I need someone to go pick up my tux." 

"You mean this tux?" Ginger asked with a grin as she hung it on the back of his door. "You really forgot there was a state dinner today, didn't you Sam. It's a good thing Toby did the remarks." 

"Who is it for?" 

"French Prime Minister." Ginger lied. 

"I think I've been spending too much time at the State Department. I know everything there is to know about Strasbourg though." 

"That would be helpful if we were all Austrians instead of Americans." Ginger quipped as she went back to her desk. 

Sam had just started doubting there really was a state dinner when Toby came by in his tux and CJ stopped by to get Ginger to fix the top hook on her blue Armani dress. At 7:30 Sam changed into his tux When he left his office he ran into CJ in the hall. 

"Walk me in handsome." She requested with a grin. 

They were busy talking so Sam didn't notice that there was only one table set in the East room until he was standing in front of it. 

"I knew there was no dinner tonight. I know I've had tunnel vision over Strasbourg lately but I knew I wasn't that out of it." 

"We had you going pretty good though Spanky." 

"Yeah you did, so you and Toby got all dressed up as a rouse?" 

"Yes we did but I managed to convince Toby that we should go eat at McDonald's. We'll be the best dressed couple there." 

"Thanks Ceeg." 

"You're welcome mi amour. Did you get Mara anything?" 

"Yeah, actually I found it at that third yard sale you made me stop at." 

"Can I see it?" 

"Sure." Sam took the little box out of his pocket and handed it to CJ. 

It was a deep red heart shaped stone a little over a carat suspended off a delicate gold chain. CJ couldn't get over how much it sparkled. 

"Sam, what kind of stone is this? It sparkles so much." 

"I have no idea, I paid $40 for it. I just knew Mara would like it." 

"If she doesn't, I love it, just remember that." 

Sam looked up and found Mara standing in the entranceway, in the same backless red dress that caused Sam and Josh's jaws to drop that night. He was so mesmerized by her once again that he didn't even notice CJ leave. He noticed the black kitty purse in her hand and smiled. 

"Is this seat taken?" She asked upon approaching him. 

"No, I was saving it for you. This was all your doing? " 

"Yeah, Abbey took over when I asked for permission, so I really don't know what is under those silver domes." 

"Well before we find out, I have a little anniversary gift for you." Sam handed her the box. 

"Sam, it's gorgeous! Look how it sparkles, wow it's facets are phenomenal. I love it!" 

Sam slid it on to her neck and left a kiss on her collar bone. 

Dinner was lobster gnocchi in a rose sauce and Belgium chocolate mousse in a dark chocolate tart. After dinner they danced for an hour before retracing their first date by walking around the monuments at night. 

******************* 

"Brrr...it's actually cold out there. This is my Ottawa coat." Mara said as she shook snowflakes off her. 

Toby took one look at Mara's knee high stiletto black leather boots and short black skirt and rolled his eyes. "You know Mara, if you actually wore some clothes you might not be so cold." 

"Yo Toby, how many times have I told you, we never want to encourage my wife to wear more clothes." Sam replied with a grin as he entered his office. 

"That coat makes you look like a black teddy bear." Toby stated ignoring Sam. He reached over and brushed the pile on her coat. 

"Yes I'm very pettble in this coat. Come on Sam, let's get out of here before someone notices you and drags you into the Congressional Christmas party." 

"What the heck are we doing tonight?" 

"Since half of the city is here that means the malls will be empty." 

"We're power shopping? Can I stay at the party instead?" 

"No, end of discussion." 

"Umm Mara, there actually has to be a discussion for it to be over. That wasn't a discussion it was a edict." 

"Samuel, I'm not getting into semantics with you. You are going and that is final. Now be a good little boy and pack up your bag and let's go. If you behave you can have a Mara sundae when we get home." 

"You have to promise me right now that if I'm good I get the sundae." 

"Sam, are you really going to let her treat you like a naughty six year old?" 

"Toby, you've never had a Mara sundae, nor will you ever, so trust me when I say, hell yeah!" 

"I promise Sammy, now move it." Mara turned and swatted Toby. "You stop undermining my authority Buster!" 

************************ 

Sam woke up Christmas morning and was shocked when he rolled over and found an empty bed. He checked the clock and his watch which both read 8:34 am. He didn't want to yell and wake up Dani if she was still asleep. He grabbed his robe and pulled it on as he padded downstairs. He caught a whiff of Tim Horton's coffee and was amazed to see Mara dancing around the kitchen. 

"Merry Christmas Baby, what on earth are you doing up?" 

"All the Christmas gifts are bagged and sitting near the door. If that sister of mine even suggests going for a walk you smack her down." 

"Mara, it's ancient history when are you going to forget?" 

"Never Sam, I can forgive but I've never been able to forget. I hear tires squeal and I look to see if you are around. I'm never going to be able to forget I almost lost you thanks to her stubbornness." 

"I just think that if I'm over it you should let it go too." 

"Not gonna happen in this lifetime. Merry Christmas." 

Sam knew it was a lost cause, maybe time would eventually let her forget. "Swedish pancakes and warm apple sauce, yum. I'm surprised Killer isn't waiting for some." 

"I gave him a little bowl of apple sauce so he'd leave me alone. We're safe until we start eating." 

"Can I give you your Christmas gift now?" 

"I never say no to opening gifts. Why don't you take your coffee and we'll go sit on the couch." 

Sam sat his mug on the table and disappeared down to the wine cellar. He came upstairs with a large green velvet hat box trimmed with a crystal beaded trim. 

"Sam, the box is gorgeous." 

"I knew you'd like it. Merry Christmas." 

Mara heard something shift in the box when Sam placed it on her lap and lifted the top of the box quickly. She was slightly disappointed to find the box was filled with envelopes. Most of the envelopes were white but there was a green, red, periwinkle blue, pink and purple envelope. Mara picked the red one and opened it. She found a hand written letter from Sam detailing his excitement in asking her to marry him later on in the day , how much he loved her and why. She picked up the periwinkle envelope that contained a letter written the morning of their wedding and one on the last morning of their honeymoon. The green envelope contained a short yet sweet thank you note for helping him through his father's betrayal. The pink envelope held all of his grades and comments from Nancy on all the situation room tests and exams he had taken. The purple envelope brought Mara to tears as it spoke of his love for her after the miscarriage. The last lines read : Mara, you breath life into everything you touch, your passion and devotion inspire all those fortunate enough to know you. If God does not bless us with a child of our own, it will not matter, because you will have established a living legacy anyway. I love you. 

Sam gently wiped the tears from her eyes and watched as she randomly opened envelopes. He had printed out every e-mail he ever sent to her, all the love notes he wrote and tucked away instead of sending, a copy of the inscription written in every book he gave her, any page he'd ever put a few doodles on involving her. She laughed when a page of the State of the Union abruptly turned into musings on what she'd make for dinner and a poetic description of her cooking abilities. If Sam had thought of her and written something it was in a business sized envelope. Each envelope was numbered and dated. 

"Wow Sam, this is the most incredible gift I've ever been given. The next time you have to go away I can sit down and read through all of these and hear your voice reading them to me. It will almost be like having you beside me. I'm sure this took you forever to organize but can I make a request?" 

"Yes and yes." 

"Would it be asking too much for you to give me a box like this every year as my Christmas gift? This means more to me than anything you could buy. It won't be a surprise anymore but the contents would be." 

"If it's what you really want sure. My organizing system is pretty much down to a science now." 

"It's what I really, really want Sam. I love you so much for thinking of this." 

"Then it shall be yours. I love you too." 

"You haven't even cashed your gift from last year in." 

"I know, I sent away for a few catalogues of custom build sailboats last week actually. I want to be able to take you sailing this spring." 

"Now you have a place to park it. That will be fun. Do you want your gift now?" 

"Sure. Can I ask you what you said to The President to get him to let me go to Disney with you and Jenna tomorrow?" 

"I reminded him that he survived without you for more than 7 days last year. I also pulled the daughter card and asked him how he could begrudge me having a joyous holiday given what I suffered through last year." 

"That was hitting below the belt." 

"Yeah but it worked didn't it?" 

"Give me my gift you wicked woman." 

"It's in the big Disney bag closest to the door." 

Sam walked over, picked it up unprepared for it's weight. He brought it over to the floor, gently taking off the glass cherry ornaments Mara had put on all her gifts this year. He opened the box pushing back tissue paper and bubble pack and found a blue lapis globe with a twelve inch circumference. Each country was a rough shaped semi precious gemstone with a tiny gemstone for each countries capital. The lettering was done with black enamel and the longitude, latitude, equator were lines of platinum. Sam guessed it weighed close to fifty pounds. 

"Mara, it's wow. It's gorgeous. If you had described this to me I would have pictured something gaudy and ostentatious but it's really just elegant, classy and impressive as hell. I love it. Can I bring it in to work?" 

"This is where I should say it's your gift you can do anything you want with it but the answer is no." 

(Ah there is a mini version for my office in one of those bags.) "Fine, be like that." Sam replied with a grin. 

"Just pour yourself a mug of coffee and get back into bed. Breakfast will be served in five minutes. 

"What about Dani?" 

"I'll leave some in the oven for her. Oh before you get any ideas, Ron is picking Jenna up at the airport at noon, dropping her off at the residence then going off duty. You are not leaving my sight today Mister." 

************************* 

Sam and Mara spent there first anniversary at the Chesapeake Bay house. Mara had made them a picnic lunch and dinner fit for royalty and they were going to take the inaugural sail on Sam's new boat. He'd finally settled on a fifty footer but refused to tell Mara what he named her. Mara had a bottle of champagne ready to christen the boat and started to laugh when Sam moved the tarp to reveal Bu. 

"Bu, you named her Bu? You couldn't have come up with something better?" 

"No because every time I see this boat, I'm going to think of you and smile. It is also short, simple and to the point. Now kindly take off those heels, get on board and we'll see how she floats." 

"What you aren't going to carry me over the threshold?' 

"Sure, but if you end up in the Bay don't blame me." 

"Never mind I'll do it myself. Josh told me I should tie you to the deck, what was he talking about?" 

"You fall off once and never live it down, that's what he's talking about." 

"Sam, I'm seriously thinking of changing your middle name to klutz, accident waiting to happen is more accurate but it's too long." 

"Yeah because I enjoyed sitting around the waiting room while you had your finger stitched up on Valentines Day and it wasn't me on crutches at Easter." 

"Your klutz karma just rubbed off on me." 

"Get on the boat Blondy." 

************************* 

The end 

Sam and Mara will be back in A Canadian Heritage Minute. 


End file.
